Death Penalty: An Eye for an Eye Can Make the Whole World Blind

A staunch opponent of the death penalty, Sister Camille, president of Sisters of Mercy Brooklyn Regional community in New York, has come up with a novel idea. Her group, the Cherish Life Circle, is distributing a document called "The Declaration of Life," which states: "Should I die as a result of a violent crime, I request that the person found guilty... not be subject to or put in jeopardy of the death penalty... no matter how much I may have suffered." "The Declaration of Life" is akin to a living will and proponents hope it will wield the same power in a courtroom. Because there is no case law, it's difficult to say what would happen if "The Declaration of Life" were brought to criminal trial. Anthony Girese, Counsel to the Bronx District Attorney's office, said: "How a jury would react is anybody's guess. But I think they would be very disinclined to give the death penalty" in a case involving the declaration signed by the victim of a homicide.