The prosecution's case hinged on the eye-witness testimony of a friend of the murdered man. After the trial an anonymous source sent Shareef Cousin's lawyers a copy of the friend's original police statement in which she had said that she could not describe the assailant at all, because it was dark and she did not have her glasses with her. The prosecution withheld this information from the defence. The prosecution was also shown to have pressured an informant into testifying against Shareef Cousin, and was accused of hiding alibi witnesses favourable to the defence. At his appeal in early 1998, Shareef Cousin won the right to a new trial.
International standards seek to restrict the scope of the death pen-alty.
On all these counts the USA is failing. More than 100 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. The USA by contrast has increased its rate of executions and the number of crimes punishable by death. Thirty-eight states currently have the death penalty on their statute books. Children have not reached a full understanding of their actions.