Capital Punishment Synthesis Essay

In Texas, a man with schizophrenia was executed (Kelsey Patterson) even after the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended clemency after learning of his time spent in mental hospitals and his unintelligible rambling.

Capital punishment has been a controversial topic in association to ethics all of its existence. Issues pertaining to the execution methods, reasonability in the relationship of punishment to the crime, who receives the death penalty, and innocence have been discussed and researched in great lengths. Capital punishment is still an active form of “deterrence” in the United States for crimes considered the worst of the worst. In this paper I will discuss the history of the death penalty. I will also disclose information on the dynamics of race, method, and court cases valid to the death penalty.

The intent of this paper is to share the views of those who oppose capital punishment. I, for one, am part of the majority that is in support of the death penalty. I am in agreeance of the old saying of “An eye for an eye”. The death penalty is one of the most controversial issues in our criminal justice system. There is an increase in opposition against the death penalty, not only in the United States. Many Americans feel that capital punishment is wrong. It is hard for people to fathom the idea of putting someone else to death. It is not the physical mechanics involved in executions that are hard to handle. It is the emotions involved in carrying out the process. Many feel that the death penalty violates the eight Amendment of a

The death penalty—a controversial response to heinous crimes like murder. Its use and consequences are often debated and researched. In this essay I will be synthesizing the information we have about the death penalty and its use. I will also examine the integrity behind the arguments for and against its use, as well. First we’ll look at which places around the world are still practicing this capital punishment and the trends of its use across time. Then we’ll examine the components of the death penalty as well as the basic process it entails. We’ll then cover the main arguments for and against the use of the death penalty and the empirical evidence and integrity of each.

Capital punishment has been a debated issue for many years and is commonly thought to be only sought out upon by extremists. Henceforth, the death penalty has been extremely problematic and widely disputed issue for centuries. Since the start of civilization, individuals who commit a criminal act have been subjected to capital punishment. The punishment itself is carried out in the most humane way possible; thusly, the issue is whether the citizens accept it as a sensible punishment. In contrast, the citizens criticize the governmental bodies that partake in the non-moral act. Even though capital punishment has become, to a greater extent, less gruesome. This form of punishment has evolved from beheadings to the electric chair, and now lethal injection. A couple of common supporting arguments that death penalty commentators often voice is that it saves money, lives, and is a just cause from a moral standpoint. Subsequently, this leads to the benefits of the death penalty outweighing the negative counterparts.

Since the mid 1900’s, capital punishment has brought many individuals into many diverse view points throughout the years. Capital punishment is a way of punishing a convict by killing him or her because of the crime he or she committed. Capital punishment will always have its pros and cons. There are opponents who absolutely disagree with capital punishment. And then there are advocates who support the idea. In the advocates view point, capital punishment is a way to minimize the threat in the world today. In the opponent’s point of view, opponents disagree with capital punishment, because of the high expenses it brings to the states. Also, opponents argue that capital punishment

Capital punishment was a corrective measure that was widely used all over the world. It is difficult to pin point the exact date of it's origin but it is a fact that it was practiced intensely during medieval times. Crimes have occurred probably since the beginning of time and therefore there was a need for a counter attack to minimize if not eradicate it completely. Laws were created for this purpose, but like everything man creates they have proved imperfect and in some cases entirely unacceptable.

On July 2, 1976, almost two hundred years since the United States of America passed the Declaration of Independence, the Supreme Court legalized capital punishment (Appendix 1). Capital punishment executed for the crime of theft. Since then there have been an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people lawfully executed(Espy pp.194). In the eighteenth century, England would punish by death for crimes such as pick pocketing and petty theft. After the 1650's colonist could be put to death for denying the true god or cursing their parents advocates.

Capital punishment was established in this country many years ago to punish those members of society which have committed horrendous crimes against fellow citizens and in a way to give the family of the victims a sense of peace. Various forms of capital and corporal punishment exist around the world and in most cases are very closely related to the religion of the nation. I believe that capital punishment is an atrocious institution and should only be used in those very few cases where rehabilitation is not an option because it does not help the criminal become a member of society. It should be used only for those who kill just for the act of killing and for no other reason. The killer must be proved guilty beyond a

Studies done by government agencies in the 1970’s have proven that for each man put to death, 8 or more murderers are deterred from committing crimes (“Arguments for Life and Death”). Life sentences cost $1.8 million to carry out. Death sentences only have the costs of ten years or more in prison and prosecution costs. This proves that death is more cost effective then life and it deters more

Capital punishment is an age-old practice. It has been used in civilizations for millennia, and will continue to be used for millennia to come. Whether used for the right or wrong reasons, capital punishment is unmistakable in its various forms. From hangings, to firing squads, to lethal injections, capital punishment and the associated proceeding have evolved over time. There have been many arguments against capital punishment, many of which still hold true. As capital punishment has evolved over time, however, many of the most valid arguments have been proven all but null. Capital punishment still has its ethical and moral concerns, but as it has evolved over time these concerns have not necessarily become less valid, but fewer in

Paragraph 1: According to Amnesty International, “The death penalty legitimizes an irreversible act of violence by the state and will inevitably claim innocent victims. As long as human justice remains fallible, the risk of executing the innocent can never be eliminated .” International attention has started focusing on the frequent discovery of innocent people convicted as the failure of law enforcement systems. Over the past twenty years there have been many well publicized cases in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States as well as Canada of wrongfully convicted persons. Thus, public confidence has been eroded as unjust conviction represents a triple failure of the criminal justice systems; innocent has been put in jail; a true criminal is privileged to enjoy

the prisoners arm or the Gas Chamber where the prisoner is placed in a room with Sodium

“Since 1973, 151 people have been released from death row throughout the country due to evidence of their wrongful conviction. In this same time period, more than 1,200 people have been executed, (Death penalty facts, 2012). The United States established capital punishment during the eleventh century. While it remains politically prevalent in headlines today, many citizens object to its use–and believe that it is an ineffective way of penalizing criminals on death row. Capital punishment should not be legal in the United States because it is a hazard to the lives of innocent citizens, an ineffective form of punishment, and an extravagant setback to the economy of America.

The United States will not conform to the amendments as provided in the United States Constitution or provide the process for all of its citizens when they are in trial. The harsh penalizations through the use of Capital Punishment should not be utilized in our judicial system. For the past 50-years, there have been questions asked about one issue that we just cannot get on board with. The idea of killing citizens had started to weigh heavily on the conscience of humans. The debate on whether capital punishment should be a penalty or not for those convicted of capital offenses remains one of the most controversial issues in our country. This debate has stemmed from whether capital punishment is a violation of the eighth amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Eighth amendment states “excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted (amend. XIII, sec.3).” This amendment entails that no inhumane, excessive, or unusual punishments should be inflicted upon a person as a penalty of the violation of law (amend. XIII, sec. 3). This amendment questions the issues of The Death Penalty; it is used less over the years, so why do we keep it around as a safety net, and so-called “Deterrent,” or to satisfy our own the idea of justice for the people (Alfano). Another factor that has stimulated around the debate about capital punishment is the number of wrongful convictions of those subjected to capital punishment. According to