Dear Governor: Angel Diaz is only one argument against the death penalty. You, of course, know how popular executions are among the populations of Florida and Texas. I ask you to think about and to take a stand against the death penalty. It is deeply flawed. Mr. Gregory K. Capehart ((LL 05036339), has spent 19 years on death row in Raiford where I and my young son visited him many times and became his friends. He was finally given the daring opportunity to prove his innocence for the rape and murder of Marlene Reeves of Dade City by having a DNA test ordered by Judge Lynn Tepper. The prosecutor, Mr. Van Allen, now retired, refused to obey her order for 12 months until she threatened him with contempt of court. The DNA results finally produced 18 months after being ordered show that Gregory’s DNA has no match on the victim nor on anything in her carefully laser-searched apartment where she died. Although convicted of the rape and murder of Marlene Reeves, Gregory didn’t do it. Nevertheless, the rotation of judges took the case out of Judge Tepper's hands and put it onto the bench of Judge Linda Babb who ruled against all three of Greg's motions to dismiss. Judge Linda Babb of the Pasco County Circuit Court in Dade City, Florida issued her Order Denying the DNA results, the retracted testimony of the witnesses Diane Harrison and Carolyn McPhail, and the alibi testimony of Angela Carr on May 15, 2007. Gregory's state appointed attorney, Mr. Daniel M. Hernandez, says his appointment terminates with his filing the appeal. All his attorneys earn far more money from the State by dragging the legal processes out to the crack of doom. Meanwhile an innocent man has suffered solitary confinement, not to mention abuse by prison guards from age 20 to age 39. He’s still in jail. The repeatedly botched defense of this man (88-394CFAES; SPN: 00026447) is a real argument against the death penalty being exercised against anyone. The many (22 in Florida) exonerated death row inmates are another real argument against the death penalty. Juries convicted them on false evidence. The legal system is so flawed that States have executed people who have later been proven innocent. Think of Sacco and Vanzetti. Each is an argument against the death penalty. What we have finally learned about Mr. Bush, the killingest governor of all time, is another argument. Our natural first reaction "to smoke out and kill the bad guys" can be based on cooked "intelligence" and end in the deaths and destruction of the lives of many non-guilty persons. The botched executions of Allen Lee Davis in old Sparky and of Angel Diaz on the gurney are other very strong arguments. Saddam Hussein is a very special argument against the death penalty. Invading his sovereign nation, deposing him, catching him, incarcerating him with international photo exposure of his forced physical examination, torturing him with various interrogation techniques, and exposing him to cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment and finally a summary execution by a coarse and crude gang are heavy burdens for the United States to bear. Think of what the world could have learned from Saddam about the collusion and guilt of people in high places that our collective hysteria to kill him has silenced. Please stop the Florida tradition of killing people others believe to "deserve" it. Please do not urge Mr. Crist to sign the death warrants for anyone. Do not resume executions. We've gotten it wrong too many times. Think of Jesus Christ's execution. Lots of folks thought he "deserved" it, too. A trial does not guarantee truth or justice. Do not resume Florida executions. _____________ This was blocked from the _Naples Daily News_ with two complaints: Please correct the following errors. Username: dwyerj1 * Watch your mouth! The words "a--e" are not allowed here. * Ensure your text is less than 3000 characters. Except for extreme situations in traffic, I do not use the term _A_ss hol_E_ and did not in this piece. It consists of 2,994 characters. _____________