Don Paradis said, "Most Americans think if your convicted you're guilty. Nobody thinks if you're sitting on death row or in prison that you're innocent."

23 years after a jury convicted him of murder Don Paradis became the only death row inmate in Idaho history to be exonerated.

He says he was guilty until he proved he had money.

Money that is for a private lawyer.

Paradis said, "If you have a public defender who's on a budget from the county you're screwed."

Don says that's because public defenders don't have the time or the money to do justice.

The NAACP stepped in and took his case paying 12 million dollars to defend him.

Paradis said,"Most of your tax dollars are not in the conviction, they're in the appeals."

In fact, studies show an execution costs taxpayers more than a life sentence.

The people we talked to say they're split on the issue.

Stephanie Clark said, "Where they're repeaters or they've done massive crimes, it's much more just to put them to sleep."

Megan Pottorff said, "Fiscally, and morally it's probably best to just keep them in prison."

David Reese said, "I don't think the state should be in the business of killing people"

Don says Idaho should follow the example of New Jersey and abolish the death penalty.

Paradis said,"Kicking the death penalty out, you're going to have some people saying we're giving into the criminals, you're not giving into criminals you're giving into being a civilized society."