Among other interesting details, this New York Times article about the
case highlights that» [f] ederal prosecutors vigorously sought the
death penalty against Mr. Wilson, taking the
case from state prosecutors in Staten Island after the New York
death penalty was
largely invalidated in 2004.»
As a matter of political mood, I suspect the «average» voter now is not too troubled by historic problems with the administration of the
death penalty,
largely because some recent big capital
cases involve mass murderer with no concerns about a possible wrongful conviction or terrible defense lawyering.