The Innocence Revolution and Our 'Evolving Standards of Decency' in Death Penalty Jurisprudence

29 Pages Posted: 11 Feb 2010

See all articles by Mark Godsey

Mark Godsey

University of Cincinnati College of Law

Thomas Pulley

University of Cincinnati - College of Law

Date Written: 15, 2004

Abstract

One cannot adequately consider whether the current administration of the death penalty in America measures up to modern notions of decency without doing so in light of the revolution that has occurred over the past decade in the American criminal-justice system - the Innocence Revolution. Up through the 1990s, as a society, we believed our criminal-justice system was highly accurate, but the recent advent of DNA testing and other advanced technologies has demonstrated the naiveté of such beliefs. This article will discuss the history of the Innocence Revolution, examine the impact of that revolution on our society, and ask, What should the implications of the Innocence Revolution be on our evolving standards of decency in death-penalty jurisprudence?

Keywords: Innocence Revolution, DNA Testing, Death penalty

JEL Classification: K14, K19

Suggested Citation

Godsey, Mark and Pulley, Thomas, The Innocence Revolution and Our 'Evolving Standards of Decency' in Death Penalty Jurisprudence (15, 2004). University of Daytona Law Review, Vol. 29, p. 265, 2004, University of Cincinnati Public Law Research Paper No. 10-04, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1550835

Mark Godsey (Contact Author)

University of Cincinnati College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 210040
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0040
United States

Thomas Pulley

University of Cincinnati - College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 210040
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0040
United States

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