I can't see that any person has the right, enshrined in law or not, to take some else's life away. If it wrong to murder someone, its just as wrong for the state to murder a second time.
We have had so many miscarriages of justice in Britain. Derek Bentley was hung for murder, even though he was handcuffed to a policeman at the time it happened. Remember "10 Rillington Place" ? ( good film by the way...check it out )
In the late 80's, a woman working in a sex shop here in my home town in South Wales was murdered. Two young "down and out" brothers, the Darvells were subsequently convicted of her murder, despite there being little or no evidence to show that they were guilty. If that murder had been committed in the 1950's, both brothers would have been hung, As it was, they were both released a few years later, after they were pardoned. Their lives were ruined of course.
In that case, not only were two entirely innocent people wrongly convicted, the real murderer got away, and has never been traced yet. Perhaps he murdered again...who knows.
Of course that is not the subject of this post.
The Death Penalty doesn't even seem to deter, which is one of the main reasons given for its support. Texas has a huge prison population and also is an enthusiastic user of the electric chair. Not really working is it ?