What would you do if you were suddenly arrested for a crime you didn't commit? What if you were taken to the police station, interrogated and incarcerated for murder? Would you stick to your innocence, or possibly take a plea deal just to get out of trouble? Would you write letters to others while in prison to try to prove your innocence? Over the years, this has happened to many people. Many people have been torn from their daily lives and thrown into a cell waiting for the day when someone will find a way to prove their innocence. Over the past 39 years, 117 people serving time on death row have been exonerated and released from prison (Daily 36). Over time, critics have highlighted flaws in the justice system that lead many to question the use of capital punishment. One of the most fundamental elements of a trial is eyewitness statements. However, eyewitness statements can contribute to flaws in the justice system because they often change over time. The case of Cameron Todd Willingham in Corsicana, Texas, revolved around the idea that Willingham started a fire that killed his own children, making him a murderer. One of the eyewitnesses to the fire, Diane Barbee, a woman who lived on the same street as Willingham, initially told authorities that Willingham seemed absolutely "hysterical" and that the front of the house had exploded during the fire. 'fire. However, after learning that fire investigators suspected Willingham of murder, Barbee's testimony began to change. Barbee later told authorities that the smoke coming from the home was minimal and not thick. In reviewing the case, critics also noted that Diane Barbee testified in the case that Willingham was not even present... middle of paper ...... Daily Record Advisory Board. “The death penalty kills innocent people. » The death penalty: opposing points of view. Ed. Diane Andrews Henningfeld. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. 36. Print. Fields-Meyer, Thomas, Pam Lambert, Alex Tresniowski, Matt Birkbeck, Lauren Comander, Anne Driscoll and Frank Swertlow. “Free at last.” People December 2, 2002: 62. Print. Grann, David. “Trial by fire”. The New Yorker September 7, 2009: 5-10. Print.King, Rachel. “Chapter 7: Rushing to Judgment.” Don't kill in our names: Families of murder victims speak out against the death penalty. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2003. 173-185. Print.New York Post. “DNA technology can ensure the fairness of the death penalty.” The death penalty. Ed. Jean-Alicia Elster. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2005. 176. Print. Shapiro, Joseph P. “Bad Men on Death Row.” US News November 9, 1998: 22. Print.