Where do you draw the line on executions?

In about 50 days, another man is scheduled to be executed in Alabama. This one is very familiar to the Shoals.

Tommy Arthur was sentenced to death more than 24 years ago - Feb. 19, 1983. He has been convicted three times of killing Troy Wicker in 1981 in a murder-for-hire scheme involving Wicker's wife.

His sentence still has not been carried out. Some doubt it ever will be even though an execution date is scheduled for Sept. 27. Those people have watched Arthur work the system.

Another execution date was set in April 2001. Seven hours before he was to die, a federal judge gave Arthur another opportunity to appeal. That appeal has run its course.

Some say all of his rightful appeals have now been exhausted, but Arthur is still fighting for his life with two more appeals filed. One requests that DNA testing be conducted on evidence collected and the other questions the constitutionality of lethal injection.

And he might just be able to buy a little more time with the DNA issue, based on at least one man's support for more DNA testing to be done on prisoners sentenced to death in Alabama.

The issue came up again recently with the execution of Darrell Grayson, who was convicted in 1980 of raping and killing a Montevallo woman. Grayson tried to have the execution delayed so DNA testing could be done, but Gov. Bob Riley denied the request.

Oddly enough, the man who prosecuted Grayson, former prosecutor Billy Hill, has become an advocate of the state placing a moratorium on executions until a study can be conducted to determine whether DNA testing should be conducted on old cases.

There doesn't appear to be a groundswell of support for the moratorium. Another factor working against Arthur is that the Legislature would have to get involved to change state law, and legislators don't return to session until February - five months after Arthur's execution date.

He shouldn't get his hopes up too high even if he's granted another delay. Legislators, at least most of them, don't want to be viewed as being soft on crime.

Many Alabamians will argue that it takes far too long for a person sentenced to death in this state to have that sentence carried out. Grayson lived 27 years after being convicted and Arthur nearly 25 years. Death was certainly swift for their victims.

On the other side of the coin, we shouldn't be executing people who are innocent or were unjustly accused - and it does happen in this country.

Where do you draw the line?

If Arthur gets his way, that line will be finding its rightful place a decade from now.

Mike Goens is the TimesDaily managing editor. He can be reached at 740-5740 or mike.goens@timesdaily.com.