Firstly, you really don't like to see these kinds of mistakes. The only thing worse then someone killing/raping a person is the wrong person getting punished for it, whilst the guilty party gets off.

I would think that if this guy really is innocent, he pleaded guilty to reduce the penalty he would receive, as kitain has said. Who knows what would have happened if he pleaded not guilty. He might have got off, or he might have got the chair - you just don't know. But, if you plead guilty, I think there's a heavy load of evidence saying that you did it - whether it's true or not, there must have been something.

As for 17 years compensation - you can't really compensate for that can you? You have to try to find the best alternative to giving the guy his 17 years back, which obviously, you cannot do. I'd say there would be money involved, but what else? Once you take some life away from someone, you can't give it back. That's why, when judges/jurors put people behind bars, they have to be certain, without a doubt, that this person is guilty. Still, however, mistakes are made.

This is probably one reason that harsher penalties are not introduced to people who commit some crimes. I'd like to see people who commit murder/rape in jail for a long, long time - hopefully not getting out at all, but sometimes, this isn't the case. But you hope ones the verdict is made, it's not a mistake - but like I said, you can't really know for certain that this person done it.

Greg