In case of a mistake, the executed prisoner cannot be given another chance.
Justice can miscarry.
In the last hundred years there have been more that 75 documented cases of wrongful conviction of criminal homicide. Undoubtedly many other cases of mistaken conviction and execution occurred and remain undocumented. This is not an exam question in a college philosophy course but a moral conundrum at the core of perhaps the most intriguing issue facing the U. S. Supreme Court today. Punishment is meted out because of the nature of the crime, devoid of any reference to the social identity of the victim. Compassion and political calculation have combined to transform victims and their advocates into a potent lobbying force.