The special session of the Colorado legislature called by Governor Owens to fix the state's death penalty law began yesterday. For the past several years, Colorado has been using a three judge system, the kind ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two weeks ago.

Owens is wisely requesting the legislators go back to a unanimous jury system as that apparently passes Supreme Court muster. Others are suggesting an abolition (our choice) or a non-unanimous jury system (doubtful that would be constitutional.)

Yesterday, a former death row inmate, one of the 101 freed from death row after being found factually innocent, told his story to the legislators.

Two good columns on his testimony: Time is Short for Officals and Inmates by Diane Carman in the Denver Post and Mike Littwin's There is No Such Thing as a Free Ride on Death Row in the Rocky Mountain News.

We don't want a death penalty. But if we have to have one, and apparently we do for now, let's make it as fair as possible by returning to a system where the jury that decided the accused's guilt must thereafter unanimously make the life or death decision.