Virtually everyone on Pennsylvania's death row is indigent. In Pennsylvania, the score under the current statute is three to two. Keith Zettlemoyer, Leon Moser and Gary Heidnik have been executed. Neil Ferber and William A. Nieves have been found not guilty, both after spending years on death row. Terence McCracken Jr. In each instance, evidence was questionable - which doesn't make one feel exactly confident about capital cases.
Most people agree that the worst event in the justice system is the execution of an innocent person.
Most Pennsylvanians agree that there may well be, or come to be, more innocents on Pennsylvania's death row - and that they will get there not only because of honest mistakes but also because poor people can't get adequate representation, and because juries are more likely to condemn people of color. And that is why 72 percent of Pennsylvanians favor a moratorium on the death penalty now - even though nearly as many favor the death penalty in principle. It's unjust because it violates the basic norms of fairness on which justice is based. A moratorium will provide time and focus to remedy the worst abuses of the death penalty. It's also a chance to reflect on the implications of capital punishment for us as a civilized society.