David Kaczynski, brother of the Unabomber, spoke yesterday against the death penalty at a meeting hosted by the Princeton Coalition Against Capital Punishment in McCosh 10.
Ever since turning his brother over to FBI agents in 1996, Kaczynski has become a vocal lobbyist for the abolition of capital punishment.
Ted Kaczynski is serving four consecutive life sentences in an ultra-maximum security prison in Colorado for murdering three and injuring dozens of others.
"The death penalty has always been carried out under less than ideal circumstances," David Kaczynski said.
Kaczynski said he believes that democracy is incompatible with the death penalty. He added that prominent historical figures such as Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin shared his views.
He said that both blacks and the poor are deliberately targeted by the justice system and convicted of capital crimes.
"If an individual is black, he is 22 times more likely to get the death penalty than a white peer," said Kaczynski.
However, the Supreme Court's most recent ruling stated that the racial trends observed by some are mere correlations and do not prove discrimination, Kaczynski said.
He added that U.S. courts have concluded that the Constitution does not safeguard against false convictions and only guarantees that everyone be afforded due process.
Kaczynski stated that his brother's "motives weren't sadistic, but his actions were premeditated and he knew what he was doing."
The state's definition of mental illness is too narrow and delusion should be a legally mitigating circumstance, Kaczynski said.
Under current Federal statute, a person is competent provided he can understand right versus wrong, and at the time of the crime knows that his actions are wrong.
During the lecture, an activist inquired what she could do to prevent future executions. Kaczynski advised her to join PCACP and avoid moral arguments when petitioning legislators.
"Ethical debates take time and are often difficult to spell out," he said.
Instead, Kaczynski urged the student to tackle the problem by highlighting flaws in the legal system.
Kaczynski identified one such problem as states with short statutes of limitation. In Texas for example, new evidence cannot be introduced 30 days after sentencing.
"I questioned the Attorney General there, and asked if the evidence clearly exonerating the accused were produced would it be accepted? He responded no," said Kaczynski.
Kaczynski said he supports a constitutional amendment that would guarantee post-conviction DNA testing for anyone convicted of capital crimes.
Neither David nor his mother have had any contact with Ted since his 1998 incarceration. He refuses to answer their letters.
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