Britney Turnage 1

Mrs.D
English 111
January 29th, 2016

The death penalty has been a controversial issue in America for years now. Under what
circumstances does a jury or judge get to say we are putting you on death row? How is that
humane to put another human being that bleeds the same way we do to death?

Its stated that one is innocent until proven guilty by the court of law. Alfred Brown was
sentenced to death in 2005 and recently released in 2015. This man served 10 years for a
crime he did not commit. Brown stuck to his story and did not waver. He had faith that it
would all work out in his favor sooner or later. "It feels really good. It was a long wait but it
was worth the wait," Brown said while holding his sister's hand. He was doing time not
knowing if he would be a free man again or put to death. That time could never be given back
to him. He missed out on spending time with his family, going with friends and his
girlfriend. Time changes so quickly and does not wait for anyone to catch up. Being locked
away separated from everyone else could really change a persons mind. Now he has to
readapt to life today, after a decade away not aware of how fast life is moving on without
him. New technologies have been created. Things are different economically. He couldnt
vote for the first African American president. No words or actions could give him those 10
years back. That just come to shows how much they justice system is failing us. They would
rather put an innocent man away than continue looking for the right person. The Texas Court
of Criminal Appeals had overturned Brown's conviction last year because prosecutors withheld a phone
record that supported Brown's alibi. They knew he was not the man they were looking for, but to save

their reputation and time they put the blame on him. There was no hard evidence against Mr. Brown

Britney Turnage 2
Mrs.D
English 111
January 29th, 2016
but yet he was sentenced to death. Absolutely ridiculous! There was nothing to prove he actually did
it. The Harris County District Attorney's Office dismissed capital murder charges against Alfred
DeWayne Brown Monday. "It is the right thing to do," said Harris County District Attorney Devon
Anderson. The right thing to do wouldve been to fully investigate and make sure without a doubt Mr.
Brown was the right man. This system is no longer to protect us.

Half of first time offence crimes are committed before the age of 25, when the brain has not fully
developed yet. Not saying those who commit a crime under the age should be excused but looked at
from different perspectives. At 18 being trialed as an adult capital punishment is an option. Everyone
makes mistakes some more than others. Dwayne Allen Wright committed a murder when he was 17.
October 14th, 1989 he was out to death for that murder. Mr. Wrights father was incarcerated at the
time and mother had on going mental issues herself. During his life he suffered from organic brain
damage. There was proof provided that Mr. Wright had a troubled past. Now none of that excuses
anything that was done. When a crime is committed there is a punishment to come along with that.
Being that he was 17 at the time of the murder and mentally ill, capital punishment was not the only
option. He needed some serious help but instead of getting that, they figured it would just be easier to
kill him like he did his victims. Some people are victims to their own circumstance. No Mr. Wright
was not right for what he did but he was young and not in his right mind. Mental illnesses can be
hereditary, which in this case he got from his mother. If only he could have gotten some help before it
got to the point it did.

Britney Turnage 3
Mrs.D
English 111
January 29th, 2016
We all want justice for those who died for no reason, but we cant commit act less crimes and expect
to not get punished. Everything happens for a reason, we dont want to believe it but its true. Two
wrongs dont make a right, so with that being said the death penalty is not justifiable. How is it
possible to decide if someone is going to die for a decision they made. If we put ourselves in that
positon we would beg for our lives. Say a family member committed murder and capital punishment
was possibly an option we would be upset and saying its not fair. We can apply something only when
we want. Its either for it or against it. Isnt there another way of punishing people for the acts of
violence they part take in? There are so many factors to weigh in on debating if someone gets capital
punishment or not. We are all human, we all bled the same way. There is no difference from person on
the right to the person on the left. Everyone messes up but it is not our job to determine if they live or
die after their mistakes.

The government is teaching us that its okay to kill people for killing people just to teach the lesson
that killing is wrong. Everything we are taught is backwards. If life was based on eye for eye the
whole world would be blind.

Britney Turnage 4
Mrs.D
English 111
January 29th, 2016

"Virginia Executes Man Who Killed in 1989 When He Was 17." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 14 Oct. 1998. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
"Innocence Cases." Innocence Cases. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
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Britney Turnage 5
Mrs.D
English 111
January 29th, 2016

"State by State Database." State by State Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
"Death Qualification | Capital Punishment in Context." Death Qualification | Capital
Punishment in ConteBenefits of Purchase." Capital Punishment, Death Penalty. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016. xt. N.p., n.d. Web
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/alfred-brown-texas-death-row-inmate-freed-afterdecade-behind-bars/