opinion

Frank: Time to put an end to death penalty

"To die, to sleep, perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub. For in that sleep of death what dreams may come…"

— Shakespeare: "Hamlet."

What do we do when a little Chihuahua is old and suffering? We bring him to the vet and put him to sleep. We call it euthanasia, a humane act of compassion.

When a human being is convicted of murder, we bring him to the executioner to him put to sleep. We call that an act of justice.

What's the difference? Same method, same result: relief to the afflicted.

Lester Bower Jr., 67, was put to death by authorities in Texas earlier this month. Was it an act of compassion or an act of justice? Bower was convicted of a 1983 quadruple murder, of which he forever claimed innocence. While questions remain about his guilt, we will assume Bower committed the dastardly crime. But, have we punished him, or have we provided him relief from suffering?

Bower spent more than 30 years on death row. Never mind that the cost of his trial, incarceration and perpetual appeal process cost the taxpayer upwards of $4 million. The truth is that Bower served two sentences for his crime: Life, plus death. Thirty years is significantly more than the average time spent by prisoners condemned to life behind bars.

Most studies have concluded that the cost of a death penalty conviction is three times the cost to taxpayers than life without parole (LWOP) sentences. Inmates who are serving LWOP are usually afforded one automatic appeal at taxpayer cost, whereas the appeals are infinite in most death penalty cases. That means LWOP inmates are basically condemned to die naturally in prison where every day is a hell on earth.

Consider these points:

LWOP sentences prevent wrongful executions. Without capital punishment, no innocent person can ever be executed.

LWOP is far more horrible than being put to sleep.

LWOP sentences bring instant closure for all parties concerned, rather than 20 or 30 years of anticipation.

Lester Bower was 35 years old when he committed the crime of murder. Did we execute the same person at age 67? If an 18 year-old boy shoots a store owner, are we executing the same person when he's 50?

If premeditated killing is inherently wrong, are states committing an inherently wrong act?

Ten percent of death row inmates have ordered legal teams to suspend appeals, preferring death to prison.

Studies have proven that capital punishment is no deterrent to committing murder.

Since 1973, 154 condemned inmates have been released from death row based on evidence of their innocence. Three from Ohio were released last year. They had spent 39 years on death row. Florida leads the nation with death row exonerations with 15.

This year, Nebraska became the 18th state to abolish the death penalty. Seven states have abolished capital punishment since 2007. Of the 1,409 executions in America since 1976, Florida ranks third, with 64. Texas leads with 379. One can only imagine how many might have been innocent. "One" would be too many.

Brevard County's William Dillon could easily have been sentenced to death in 1982, but served 27 years instead as an innocent man in prison before DNA proved his innocence. Had he been executed, he would forever be branded: murderer.

The justice system is designed not only to convict the guilty, but to protect the innocent. Should not the latter be most important? Meanwhile, the United States remains the only nation in the free world that executes.

So let's stop euthanizing murderers and deal out real punishment. Meanwhile, we must concentrate on ensuring the innocent remain innocent.

The facts are indisputable. What are we waiting for?

Frank is an author and retired Miami police detective who lives in Melbourne. Visit his website at www.marshallfrank.com.