Opinion: South Dakota Editorial Roundup

A series of academic studies over the past six years seem to lend support to arguments by capital punishment advocates that the death penalty is a deterrent to murder. The studies say between three and 18 lives would be saved by the execution of each convicted killer sent to death row. Death penalty foes counter that even with the death penalty, there is no shortage of murders in the country and throw in the argument about the number of people on death row exonerated after DNA and other evidence later cleared them of the charges. Regardless, the simple fact is that the death penalty has been legal in this country since being reinstated in the 1970s. South Dakota could see its death row population reduced by one this summer if Elijah Page gets his wish and is executed as requested.

By: The Associated Press, The Daily Republic