The death penalty is the most serious punishment possible. It is meant to send a stern warning to those that think about committing the most atrocious crime of murder, letting them know that if they commit murder, they could be punished with their own death. This punishment is often controversial for many reasons. A case in Ohio is demonstrating the reason for a solid criminal defense and the reason appeals are so important in the judicial process.

A man convicted of murder in 1996 has maintained his innocence. According to an article in The Atlantic, there were no witnesses, no physical evidence, and the man passed a polygraph test before his trial. He was not convicted until five years after the murders, and many witnesses now say that the new prosecutor, that eventually obtained a conviction of the man, threatened them into saying the man murdered an elderly couple.

The only evidence that was presented against the man was witnesses that were said to be coerced. A cigarette was found at the scene, which may have been to another man, who the defendant believes to have killed the couple, but he was executed by the state of Ohio before testing could be done.

The case may soon make its way to the Supreme Court of the United States, which could be the man's last chance to overturn his conviction. The death penalty requires vigorous criminal defense in Ohio. Developments in DNA technology or a review that the case lacked adequate evidence could possibly lead to the overturning of the man's conviction.

Source: The Atlantic, "Is Ohio Keeping Another Innocent Man on Death Row?," Andrew Cohen, Jan. 31, 2012