Dear Sirs: I was surprised and disappointed by your April 3rd editorial advocating the death penalty for Cobey Wade Lakemper. Unless your editorial board sat through the entire trial, including the penalty phase, which was not complete when this opinion was published, you were in no position to offer such advice to the jury. If you believe that you don't need to hear all the evidence to make such a decision, you and your editorial sentiments are living in the wrong country and will be much more comfortable with the ‘justice' systems in North Korea, Iran andChina, among others.

The U.S. Constitution and the jury system - love ‘em or leave ‘em!

Emily Gilbert,
Atlanta, defense attorney in the Cobey Lakemper death penalty case