Anti-Death Penalty Group Sees Amrine Decision As Reason To Abolish Capital Punishment

A group against capital punishment sees the exoneration of Joseph Amrine, the man who waited on Missouri’s death row for nearly 18 years, as a victory. The State Supreme Court ruled Amrine innocent of a murder committed in October 1985 for which he had received a death sentence. Jeff Stack with Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty says there are at least four prisoners on the state’s death row who could be innocent of the charges, five who were executed with doubt over their guilt, and two who have been cleared of charges. Stack does admit he would be against the death penalty even if there were not the guilt and innocence problems he claims. Governor Bob Holden admits there are problems in the system, but it does work, even if it takes time. Holden says he won’t follow capital punishment moratoriums in Illinois and North Carolina with one here in Missouri. Stack says he’s not surprised by the Governor’s answer. He says there are a lot of political pressures to keep the death penalty in this state.