English Summary #2

Daniel Contreras
Professor Jacinto Gardea
ENGL P050 CRN 32356
23 February 2011

The Fatal Mistake

According to an anonymous author, death penalty victim Carlos De Luna was a victim of both false accusation and wrongful execution. He claims that the delayed response shows how crucial the investigation was to the officers. The author asserts that De Luna was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He disagrees with the procedures that the officers made during the investigation. The author explains the store manager could not believe that officers would allow the evidence to be wiped away so early in the investigation. The anonymous author says that De Luna was underneath a vehicle because he had violated his parole, by drinking nearby when the crime occurred. The author also points out that no money was stolen during the crime, so De Luna's punishment was unreasonable and unjust.

The prosecution argues that De Luna was indeed responsible because of three things. First was the victim's 911 phone call that has no visible evidence. Second was the only witness nearby when the crime occurred, but even he was unsure if De Luna was the culprit. Last were the mugshots of De Luna and Carlos Hernandez, which looked very alike. But both men were criminals of very different charges. De Luna was charged on drinking while Hernandez was guilty on crimes using a large knife. The author concludes by saying, "No one has apologized to Carlos De Luna or his family for wrongly taking his life. Nor has anyone apologized to Lopez's family for botching that investigation or to Hernandez's subsequent victims, who would have been safe if police and prosecutors had properly investigated the Lopez murder. And what about the jurors who were led to believe that De Luna was guilty? They too deserve an apology" (6).

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