I can’t definitively say that this is the first example of a clearly innocent person having been executed in the United States — but it sure seems that way. At the very least, he shouldn’t have been convicted. This is why I have argued that no death sentence should be imposed unless the defendant’s guilt is proved beyond all possible doubt. As more cases like this crop up, more people will agree with me.

UPDATE: I have already written a post that responds to the complaint, raised in some of the comments, that my standard is unreasonably high. You can read it here.

I stayed up way too late last night, which often means I’m reading the latest Michael Connelly book. The latest one is The Lincoln Lawyer, about a Los Angeles defense attorney. A judge, court clerk, and bailiff I know make a special appearance. Great stuff.