History of Capital Punishment Essay

It can cost as much as 3 times more to keep a prisoner on death row before execution than it costs to take care of a prisoner with a life sentence. In fact, defense costs alone for death penalty trials cost on average $395,762 per case, compared to $98,963 per case when the death penalty was not sought (Kansas Judicial Council). A study conducted by Seattle University on the costs of the death penalty i.e. the cost of appeals, hiring attorneys, and keeping a prisoner on death row before execution in Washington State found that, a death penalty case costs on average one million dollars more than a similar case that does not warrant a death penalty ($3.07 million versus $2.01 million). In addition, due to the longevity of death penalty cases, mostly as a result of the long appeal processes, statistics have shown the same high cost trends in all of the states that apply the death penalty. Thus, during these times of economic crisis, it is only wise for states and the government to spend and invest taxpayers’ money into more important areas, such as health care and

Throughout the history of man there has always existed a sort of rule pertaining to retribution for just and unjust acts. For the just came rewards, and for the unjust came punishments. This has been a law as old as time. One philosophy about the treatment of the unjust is most controversial in modern time and throughout our history; which is is the ethical decision of a death penalty. This controversial issue of punishment by death has been going on for centuries. It dates back to as early as 399 B.C.E., to when Socrates was forced to drink hemlock for his “corruption of the youth” and “impiety”.

Why is the death penalty used as a means of punishment for crime? Is this just a way to solve the nations growing problem of overcrowded prisons, or is justice really being served? Why do some view the taking of a life morally correct? These questions are discussed and debated upon in every state and national legislature throughout the country. Advantages and disadvantages for the death penalty exist, and many members of the United States, and individual State governments, have differing opinions. Yet it seems that the stronger arguments, and evidence such as cost effectiveness, should lead the common citizen to the opposition of Capital Punishment.

(Lamar 34). Many in fovor of the death penalty feel that if a sentence of death is handed

The death penalty is supposed to deter murder and bring the justice that the murder families of the victims should be rewarded (Hyden). Although many scientific researches can conclude that it does not deter murder and the members of the murder victims’ family have rejected/rejecting the program because it retraumatizes them with long process of trials, appeals, and of course the media (Hyden). In contrast, a sentence of life in prison is certain and instant, allowing the families to move on knowing that the justice of the crime is being served. Comparing whether or not the death penalty should be legalized, the reasons as to why it shouldn’t be, are strong enough to change one person’s mind. The death penalty still should be illegal in the United States.

Many Americans claim that capital punishment is a cruel and unusual punishment and goes against a persons constitutional rights. On the other hand, many Americans support it and claim it is against ther constitutional right not to carry out the death penalty. How are we to know what is right? In all honesty, facts, papers, journals, etc. can not decide how I am truly going to feel about a subject that is very much a macro-argument. None the less, here Americans sit, letting “their” opinion being primarily based off of claims and subclaims made by one side or the other. I guess that is what we will do here. I believe that if we are to look at papers, we might as well look at

The history of the death penalty goes back to the earliest civilizations where it was used to punish all sorts of crimes from robbery, to murder, to different forms of heresy. In the United States it evolved to just punish murder, treason, and some cases of rape. It has been an issue that has sparked a never ending debate that goes back to colonial times. The general public traditionally supported the death penalty in a majority with only a few politicians speaking out against it (i.e., Benjamin Rush, Ben Franklin and later on Horace Greeley). Once the U.S. gained independence, each state went back and forth in abolishing and reinstating the death penalty and methods of

Much of the court's time could be saved if death row inmates were limited to a set number of appeals in a reasonable amount of time. Facilitating numerous appeals results in many unforeseen costs. In 1992, expenditures on criminal justice activities by all federal, state, and local governments combined reached $299 per capita.(BJS) Ted Bundy's 10 year stay on death row, involving numerous appeals and excessive imprisonment fees, eventually cost the Florida state taxpayers more than $6 million dollars.(Lamar 34) These expenses are unnecessary and unjustifiable and could be alleviated by limiting appeals. In addition to this, public defense expenditures reached a startling $16.4 billion in 1990, which breaks down to about $7 per capita for each case tried in public defense costs alone.(Capital Punishment 1992) Although these figures are for total spending on public defense, it is easy to deduce that by limiting the number of appeals for death row inmates, these figures could be significantly reduced.

-Cost, it cost 30- 35,000 a year or less than a million dollars for a typical life sentence. This figure does not include for appeals and the increasing cost of health care as the inmate ages. A death roe average time is 16 years costing 3-4 million.

Further study of the case revealed that the issue with the court case involves the type of criminal intent required, was it in whole or the part intention to breach the anti-kickback statue by entering into an agreement with the doctors? Another concern was did Mr. McClatchey breach the anti-kickback statute? It is my understanding that Mr. McClatchey believes the jury was presented inappropriate instruction on the rule and requested for a clemency which was given. However, the United States government is appealing the court case.

People that support the death penalty argued that death penalty is righteously justified when enforced in murder especially with disturbing elements such as for multiple murder, child murder, serial killing, torture murder, mass murder, terrorism, massacre or genocide. It is said that the death penalty for murder is and should be "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".

Supporters of the death penalty will argue that life in prison is not enough to bring the

That is a lot more than someone like Eddie Joe Lloyd would have had at the time of his conviction. Eddie was convicted of brutally murdering a sixteen year-old girl in Detroit, Michigan. At the time, he was in the hospital being treated for mental illness, and writing to the police with suggestions for solving murder cases, including the one which he was convicted of. The police convinced him that if he confessed and got arrested, that would “smoke out” the real perpetrator. The police fed him details that he could not have known, and Eddie signed a written confession and provided a taped confession. His pre-trial court appointed attorney was only being paid one hundred and fifty dollars for the case, so there was little incentive to put in the time. Eddie’s attorney never looked into his mental state, and eight days before the trial he withdrew from the case. Even though there was little time to prepare, the trial was not postponed. The two attorneys never met to consolidate case files, so when the court date arrived, the arresting officer was not cross-examined, no defense witnesses were called, and the closing statement for the defense was about five minutes long. The jury took less than an hour to convict him guilty of first-degree murder. Innocenceproject.org recounted Eddie’s story, and says this tends to be a common occurrence. “The resources of the justice system are often stacked against poor defendants. Matters only become worse when a person is represented by an ineffective, incompetent or overburdened defense lawyer… In some of the worst cases, lawyers have slept in the courtroom during trial, failed to investigate alibis, failed to call or consult experts on forensic issues, and failed to show up for hearings.” The old saying “justice is blind” does not seem to be playing a role in modern criminal proceedings. Lady Justice

The death penalty is not only inhumane but too easy for these criminals that deserve it. The life sentence is swift, severe and certain punishment according to The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU, 2015). Sentencing someone to die in jail is a pragmatic alternative to public safety along with murder victims’ families to still provide them with justice. The death penalty can be consider the easy way out. Being only about 20 minutes of terror. The life sentence gets more justice out of the criminal, they have to sit in a cell for the

While criminals must be punished for their criminal actions, “legalized murder”, as author Coretta Scott King put it, is immoral. The death penalty is legalizing the very thing that many on death row are charged for, murder. There is a multitude of lawful alternatives, to the death penalty, of reestablishing a better reputation for the criminals. The Constitution has no true right to allow such a felonious form of rehabilitation.