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Muskogee Phoenix Opposes Oklahoma Legislation

By Steve Hall

"Stop extension of state executions," is the title of an editorial in today's edition of the Muskogee Phoenix.We disagree in principle with a proposal in the state Legislature to execute repeat child rapists. Sex crimes against children are abhorrent, and given children?s inability to defend themselves from adult abuse, we understand the inclination to treat child sex criminals very harshly.But this editorial board reversed its position on the death penalty a few years ago. We oppose it because of the high number of criminal cases, including murder cases, that were overturned in past years. In fact, Wednesday a North Carolina man held in prison for 17 years on first-degree murder was exonerated and freed. State Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, proposed and the House Judiciary Committee approved this month a bill that would allow no-parole life prison sentences or the death penalty for repeat offenders who rape children age 6 or younger...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on February 18, 2010 (boomark / email).