Former Gov. White urges rethinking of death penalty
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Former Texas Gov. Mark White said he thinks it's time that the state reconsider its use of capital punishment because — among other reasons — the risk of putting innocent people to death is too great.
In an interview published in Monday's editions of the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, White said that the death penalty no longer deters murder, that long delays between convictions and executions show there is no swift justice and that he's increasingly concerned the law isn't administered fairly.
 Mark White |
"There is a very strong case to be made for a review of our death penalty statutes and even look at the possibility of having life without parole so we don't look up one day and determine that we, as the State of Texas, have executed someone who in fact was innocent," he said.
White was the state attorney general from 1979-83 and governor from 1983-87 and was involved with 20 executions in both capacities.
His comments come while Texas Gov. Rick Perry is under criticism for replacing members of the Texas Forensics Commission and delaying consideration of an expert's report questioning the 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham.
In response, Perry has called Willingham a "monster" and said he was certain of Willingham's guilt.
White said he did not intend his comments to be critical of Perry's handling of the Willingham case. He also cited the case of Michael Blair, who was sent to death row for the 1993 Plano playground abduction and killing of Ashley Estell. DNA testing later cleared Blair in the slaying.
"That's two examples of why I think the system is so unreliable. It creates an unnecessary possibility that an innocent person would be executed in Texas. And I don't think anybody in Texas wants that to happen," he said.
