Arlen Specter

About the author: Arlen Specter is a Republican senator from Pennsylvania.

The writ of habeas corpus, which is intended to protect the rights of defendants by allowing them to appeal their convictions and sentences for federal judicial review, is being used to delay death sentences. The abuse of this safeguard causes unnecessary delays (on average, nine years) that diminish the deterrent effect of the death penalty. This delay in executions results in a miscarriage of justice for both crime victims and defendants.

The American people want government to do something about violent crime. Unfortunately, it is now almost certain that whatever crime legislation we pass in 1994 will do nothing about one of the most serious aspects of the crime problem: the interminable appeals process that has made the...