A system that is perceived by many citizens as flawed and unfair will contribute to undermining the rule of law in our state. Until there is a thorough reform of our criminal justice system, a moratorium on state-sponsored executions is an urgent matter which deserves strong support from all Texans who want our state to lead the nation in preserving justice and fairness and not in capital punishment. I am confident that no Texan wants an innocent person to be condemned to death. A moratorium on capital punishment in order to fully examine our criminal justice system will give us assurance that, as far as humanely possible, the innocent will not be subjected to state- sponsored executions. An authorization to suspend executions temporarily in order to examine the criminal justice system.
All human life is sacred, even the life of a criminal.
Society can be protected by the long term incarceration of dangerous criminals. The death penalty promotes a culture of violence and revenge. The criminal justice system is flawed with inadequate counsel for the poor and racial disparities. Innocent people have been sentenced to death. The mentally ill and mentally disabled are not excluded from execution.