Gov. Perry should stay this execution

UPDATE: According to this story a federal appeals court just granted Larry Swearingen a reprieve. They will revisit the new evidence in his case. He will not be executed tomorrow night as was planned.

The death penalty is a topic over which many Southeast Texans probably have differing views.

Some say bad people who do horrendous things deserve to die, and others would say they should live to suffer in prison.

However, no one would say that anybody deserves to be punished for something he or she did not do.

Which brings us to Larry Swearingen and the fact that tomorrow, if everything stays on course, the State of Texas will execute him for killing a 19 year-old girl in 1998 in Montgomery County.

Even though he probably didn't do it.

According to several forensic experts - including one scientist who testified against Swearingen, then later admitted her mistake and reversed her opinion - there is no way he could have done the crime.

By no means is Swearingen a model citizen. He was accused of both rape and assault on two previous occasions. In fact, when experts now believe the murder was committed, he was in jail for multiple traffic offenses.

Several articles, editorials and blog posts have already been written about this sad state of affairs and - as of this posting - Governor Rick Perry has not announced any plans to stay Swearingen's execution.

This is a blatant example of the judicial system not living up to its promise of fairness for everyone - something people on both the left and right should be angered by.

If you already believe the death penalty is the wrong way to deter criminals, you should be outraged by this - for obvious reasons.

But if you believe that the death penalty is the right way for those who commit heinous crimes to be made accountable, you should still be outraged. Is this the sort of accountability that applies to a man who may be innocent? Is the death penalty supposed to be wielded this way?

The Governor of Texas should stay this execution, and review the new evidence, for the sake of both Larry Swearingen and the integrity of our justice system.

If you have a minute today, contact the governor's office via e-mail HERE or call it at (800) 252-9600 and weigh in with your opinion. The execution is slated for tomorrow.