How many chances should we offer?

I see in the paper that Juan Rivera has been found guilty for the third time in the death of 11-year old Holly Staker. How many times must we find this murderer guilty before we accept the fact that he is guilty? The Herald called the case a 16-year case, meaning that this man has been on trial and under suspicion longer than his poor victim was alive.

This seems to be the worst miscarriage of justice since the last miscarriage of justice I heard of. And now that Rivera has been found guilty, because this state hasn't the common sense to execute viscous murders and rapists, it seems he can look forward to a life behind bars - a life with food in his stomach and a roof over his head and a bed beneath his back. At a time when millions are out of jobs and losing their homes, it seems strange to me that we treat our criminals better than our citizens.

Tim Schmidgall

Elgin