Hello all--

My legal blog, inthiscase.com, posts stories of people's personal experiences with the legal system. I am looking for any kind of personal story about the death penalty....people on death row, people who have witnessed executions, people who have lost family members to the death penalty....etc.

You can reach me at traceybroderick@gmail.com, or through my blog....inthiscase.com.

Many thanks!

Tracey Broderick
Washington, DC

Several years ago I attended a gathering to oppose the penalty of death.  The speaker was a man in his late thirties.  In his youth he worked, lived his life.  Then he was arrested for a heinous crime.  The "evidence" was a physical characteristic.  He was convicted and sentenced to death.

More than a decade passed while family, friends, defender organizations tried to prove his alleged innocence.  Then two issues arose.  His DNA did not match what was found at the crime scene.  Also physical characteristics had not been studied properly.  So an innocent man was released.

Now he was speaking to us, and someone asked a difficult question.  I realized a man who had spent many years in prison and was only recently released did not have info needed to answer.

So I said "allow me" and responded to the question.  The speaker gave me a long look, walked over and gave me a hug a young man would give to his mother.  

When I reflect on that day I realize I was hugged by a human being the state had sought to execute!