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SINCE THE 1970s, 87 inmates
have been freed from death row because of problems or errors in the legal
process. Common reasons for reversal include:
 Key
witnesses lied or recanted their testimony
Police
overlooked or withheld important evidence
DNA testing
showed someone else committed the crime
The defense
lawyer was incompetent or negligent
Prosecutors
withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense
In
1999, China easily led all nations with 1,077 executions, followed
distantly by Iran (165), Saudi Arabia (103), Democratic Republic of the
Congo (100) and the United States (98)
© 2000 Newsweek,
Inc.
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