I Should Watch More TV

I should watch more TV.

Late last year, I wrote about a compelling and award-winning article by David Grann that was published September 2009 in the New Yorker. Entitled "Trial by Fire," it was the story of Cameron Todd Willingham and the probability that he was sentenced to die for a crime that likely did not occur.

Willingham was accused of murdering his daughters, who died in a terrible house fire. "Scientific evidence" at the time purported to prove that the fire was the result of arson.

But new information and a better understanding of the science suggested - even before Willingham was executed - that the fire was likely an accident. Any parent can easily imagine being in Willingham's tragic shoes.

Many have heard of this case. NCADP's "Shouting from the Rooftops" campaign was launched in the wake of Grann's article. In April, Law & Order SVU's "Torch" episode highlighted the problem of a wrongful conviction for arson, and just two weeks ago, Law & Order LA's second show of the season, "Echo Park," told the story of a woman who was wrongfully convicted of arson and sentenced to prison for a fire that turned out to be the result of an accident.

In addition to the fictional accounts on NBC, we now have yet another piece of excellent journalism highlighting the case. Last night, Tuesday, October 19, PBS' Frontline "Death by Fire" featured the true story of Cameron Todd Willingham, bringing the risk of executing an innocent person home as only TV can do when you can see and hear the fire experts. You've got to watch this.

If after watching this program, you still think we can afford to use the death penalty, I hope that you will support those at the Innocence Project who are working to make sure that no stone is left unturned to prevent an innocent person from being sentenced to death and executed.

But if, like me, you are concerned that despite our best efforts we may never get it right, join me in supporting repeal of the death penalty to make space for better alternatives. Then we can all sleep a little better at night, knowing that at least the tragedy in the Willingham case will never happen again to anyone on our watch.

So be a good citizen and watch a little more TV.

The Frontline program will air again over the next few days. Check your local listings, and view it with a friend.

 

Comments

[dudleysharp]

05:24 AM on 10/22/2010

Well, Diann, not quite.

1) "Cameron Todd Willingham: Another Media Meltdown", A Collection of Articles
http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Cameron%20Todd%20Willingham.aspx


The false innocence claims by anti death penalty activists are legendary. Some examples:


2) "The Innocent Executed: Deception & Death Penalty Opponents"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/10/08/the-innocent-executed-deception--death-penalty-opponents--draft.aspx

3) The 130 (now 139) death row "innocents" scam
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-checking-issues-on-innocence-and-the-death-penalty.aspx

4) Sister Helen Prejean & the death penalty: A Critical Review"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/05/04/sister-helen-prejean--the-death-penalty-a-critical-review.aspx

5) "At the Death House Door" Can Rev. Carroll Pickett be trusted?"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/01/30/fact-checking-is-very-welcome.aspx

6) "A Death Penalty Red Herring: The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection", Lester Jackson Ph.D.,
http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=102909A


7) "The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-penalty-more-protection-for-innocents.aspx

[dwfmcneil]

01:10 PM on 10/22/2010

No, Dudley, Diann is quite right. Even Justice Scalia in 2002 agreed. He said: "I think the question, if I got it correctly, was do I think the death penalty is immoral because it will – I have to say it – it will inevitably lead at some point to the condemnation of someone who is innocent. Well, of course it will. I mean, you cannot have any system of human justice that is going to be perfect." http://features.pewforum.org/death-penalty/resources/transcript3.html (questions after his main address). Clearly, from the evidence as we understand it now, the fire that killed the Willingham children was not set by anyone. Todd Willingham may have been a bad person in some ways, but he did not commit murder. Of the 1231 executed in the US since 1977, do you think he was the only one who was wrongfully convicted? There are other cases in which it is virtually certain we got the wrong person. That's okay with some people. It's not okay with me. I don't want the state killing in my name, when we can protect ourselves from the really dangerous among us with true life prison terms. Then, when we get it wrong, as we inevitably will, we can let the person go. It's time for us to join the rest of the civilized world and replace the death penalty with criminal justice measures that protect us and help reduce violent crime in general.

[jeneokeefetrigg]

06:50 PM on 10/21/2010

I agree Diann. It's great to see stories of wrongful convictions getting so much more "air time." From the West Memphis Three being featured on Larry King Live (twice) and Anderson Cooper - all within one month, to the latest Hilary Swank film, Conviction, about Betty Anne Waters, a working mother who put herself through law school and finally exonerated her brother, who was wrongfully convicted of murder.

For those who think these things rarely happen, Innocence Project New Orleans (www.ip-no.org) secured SEVEN exonerations over the last month. Three men from Mississippi and four in New Orleans. Combined these men spent 165 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.

[Scott Cobb]

05:11 PM on 10/20/2010

The 11th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty will be held in Austin at the Texas Capitol at 2 PM on October 30, 2010.

www.marchforabolition.org

One of the speakers at the march and rally will be Elizabeth Gilbert, the friend of Todd Willingham who was featured in the Frontline documentary "Death by Fire" and in The New Yorker article by David Grann.

Other special guests this year include 6 exonerated former death row prisoners Shujaa Graham, Ron Keine, Gary Drinkard, Curtis McCarty, Albert Burrell and Greg Wilhoit. Curtis spent 21 years in prison – including 19 years on death row – in Oklahoma for a crime he did not commit. Shujaa spent 3 years on death row in California for a crime he did not commit. Ron spent two years on death row in New Mexico for a crime he did not commit. Gary spent almost 6 years on death row in Alabama for a crime he did not commit. Albert spent 13 years on death row in Louisiana for a crime he did not commit. Greg spent five years on death row in Oklahoma for a crime he did not commit.

Each October since 2000 the annual march brings together activists, family members of people on death row, community leaders, exonerated former death row prisoners, faith-based leaders and all those calling for repeal of the Texas death penalty.