Disturbing case brings up disturbing point about our justice system.

I found a disturbing article on The New York Time's website by their Editorial Board. The board consists of 19 journalists who claim to have “wide-ranging areas of expertise” several specialize in law, criminal justice and legal affairs. The article explains the tragic case of a young girl, Sabrina Buie, being raped, beaten and then suffocated. The men convicted were Henry Lee McCollum who was 19 at the time and his half brother Leon Brown who was 15. The police quickly received confessions from both the boys. Later they were found to be false confessions received under duress, but not before both men spent decades in prison. The article states "The exoneration of two North Carolina men- who spent 30 years in prison-provides a textbook example of so much that is broken in the American justice system." I completely agree with the author.

            This past Tuesday a North Carolina state judge freed the brothers after several pieces of evidence proved their innocence. These had never been turned over to defense lawyers and if they had been would have been able to convict Buie's murderer. A DNA covered cigarette at the scene would have convicted Roscoe Artis.  Currently he is serving life for a very similar murder committed not but a few weeks after Buie's murder. No physical evidence tied McCollum or Brown to the case and their statements were recently found to be false. There was even a request in to have a finger print that was found at the scene to be run against Artis's print. I feel it should be stated that by this time Artis already had a long history of sexually assaulting women.
            Thankfully the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission got their hands on this case and found the inconsistencies which led to the brother’s recent release. Now McCollum and Brown whom are both mentally handicapped have to assimilate to living with the rest of society. Unfortunately in my opinion the boys spent their most critical years in prison and will have a very hard time incorporating themselves in to the real world.

The author states in regards to the innocent "How many more remain on death row today? Can the American people be assured that none will be killed by the state? For this reason alone, the death penalty must end." I agree. I think that until we have a fool proof justice system it is unfair to send possibly innocent people to their death when there are records of wrongly convicted people out there. I think every one in America should be concerned about the content of this article but I think it more geared toward liberals. However I think that until we quit sending people to prison based on uncertain evidence, racial prejudices and false confessions we have no right to be killing possibly innocent people.