Falwell: Robertson Wrong on Death Penalty

RICHMOND, Va., April 11 (AP)--In a rare split with religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, the Rev. Jerry Falwell said he cannot support his fellow conservative's call for a moratorium on the death penalty.

In fact, Falwell said, he believes the appeals process for prisoners should be speeded up.

``Pat and I do not disagree on many things, but on this one we do,'' Falwell said in Tuesday's Richmond Times-Dispatch.

``While courts do make mistakes, I do not believe the mistake level is at the point where we need to rethink our whole system, and I personally believe that we need to reduce the time between conviction and execution.''

Robertson, speaking Friday at the College of William and Mary, said that while he believes the death penalty is morally justified, he sees it being administered in a way that discriminates against blacks and the poor and doesn't provide enough opportunities for mercy.

Responding to a question from the audience, Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and the Christian Coalition, said a short moratorium on executions would be appropriate.

Earlier this year, Illinois Gov. George H. Ryan imposed a statewide moratorium on executions after 13 death row inmates there were found to have been wrongly convicted.