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>>But who loses their claim (to life) when an innocent is convicted and then executed?????
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>That is a valid point. That is why the justice system in the US goes through years and years of trial and multiple appeal process to try to make sure beyond reasonable doubt that the ba$turd really is guilty. DNA testing adds a LOT to the reliability of a judgement now.
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>100 years ago somebody could get hung bacause he was from out of town (kinda like being in Iran). Things have changed a lot.
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>I feel bad if we toast one by mistake. On the other hand, I'd feel bad if we let a serial killer walk out to do it again. I feel worse by having to pay to support/feed/educate/medicate/play legal games with the killers currently NOT being killed in states that abolished the death penalty.

Life in prison is a sentence that can prevent a bad guy from walking out and doing it again.

There have been cases where all appeals have happened, the guy is still on death row, and someone comes along with new evidence or DNA that shows innocence YET it is a struggle to get the new stuff heard by the court. I guess that sometimes it simply doesn't ever get heard.

"...toast someone by mistake.". You really should want that that can never happen. And doing away with the death penalty does assure that!