Persuasive Essay On Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics in today’s world. Many people believe that it is morally wrong to have capital punishment as a sentence to a crime. People also do believe that it is morally permissible for a severe crime. Capital punishment is also known as the death penalty. It can be given as a sentence when somebody is convicted of an extremely violent crime. The biggest issue that can be seen with this is that somebody could be innocent and sentenced with the death penalty because of the nature of the crime that they have been accused of even if they didn’t commit it. I believe that there is a moral line between using the death penalty and using other forms of punishment.

The death penalty has been dated back to the “Ancient Law of China” but it’s mostly known during the time of “King Hammurabi where the death penalty was given for 25 different crimes”. The first actual recorded death penalty usage was set during the “16th century where one was accused of magic, and ordered to take his own life”. In America, the first person known to be put to death was “Captain George Kendall” for allegedly “being a spy for Spain.” What seems to make America’s first interpretation of the death penalty is that it was even used for “minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians”. The death penalty is a way for those to punish people for their

Capital punishment, which is also known as the death penalty, is the punishment of a crime by execution. This extreme retribution is reserved for those who have committed heinous, or capital crimes against society, therefore considered an ongoing threat. Capital punishment was abolished from the Canadian Criminal Code in 1976. It was substituted with a compulsory life sentence without possibility of parole for 25 years for all first-degree murders. However capital punishment is still practiced in over 30 of the 50 states in the USA. Some say that Capital Punishment is an unjust solution to crime, and others say that it isn’t a solution at all, as it is subject to flaws just as any system can be flawed. Dating back, before the Eighteenth Century B.C., Capital Punishment has been an integral part of the judicial system in the majority of countries. Considered to be the ultimate punishment, few criminal offenders will receive this ultimate form of retribution. The State of Texas has the highest record of executions at 300 since the 1970’s. Those executed are murderers and those who have committed serious offenses. The idea is "an eye for an eye", but as Gandhi wisely stated, “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind”. Shockingly, there have been convicted criminals executed only to be proven innocent later, this is far too late after they have long been

In an effort to make sure that innocent men and women are not wrongly convicted in capital punishments cases, they are given a wide range of appeals procedures. Immediately following sentencing an automatic appeals process called Direct Review begins. It is during this process that appellate courts review the lower trial court’s decision, checking for errors and making sure the case was tried on sound judgment. If any errors are found

People on death row are not really dying. “In 2010, a death row inmate waited an average of 178 months (roughly 15 years) between sentencing and execution. Nearly a quarter of deaths on death row in the U.S. are due to natural causes.” (Wikipedia, 2015). We are paying tax dollars to have people sit in prison for up to 15 years, and to have three quarters of them executed. Should we even have capital punishment?

Andrew was only twenty three years old when he robbed the liquor store on South Lincoln Avenue. He was a high school dropout and didn’t know where his life was headed at that time. If he could go back, he would not have let his friends talk him into doing it. Yes, they needed the money for rent but looking back at the event, it just was not worth it. He’s always had good intentions, but never a drive to discover his potential, which resulted in this. He is now serving his eighth month in prison so far and has put a lot of thought into the lifelong impact this will have on him. “How long will it take him to find a job?, Where will he stay?,Will his mom and sister, take him back after what he did?” He never explained why he did what he did

Do you ever wonder what should happen to dangerous criminals? Watching the news just thinking “huh?” Well what do you think should happen to the dangerous criminals? There are many opinions. Some people think the only option is the death penalty. I honestly agree and disagree with that because there are some death penalties are justified and some are not .Listen to these two cases.

Cantu was age 17 when he was accused of committing capital murder in 1993. The teen was found guilty and executed. 12 years after his death, Texas investigators found that there was no way possible that Cantu could have committed the murder. The worst part is the police had little evidence to go by and there were only a few eye witnesses that convicted and executed this innocent minor. Debates over capital punishment have been around since its first use in the U.S. in 1608. With the increase of controversies regarding the topic, the need for the right information and facts is prominent. Due to the death penalty’s many detrimental effects on society such as innocent lives taken, ineffectiveness, and the resources being sucked up, we should consider banning it in all 50 states.

Murder, rape, robbery, and assault all reflect the influence of evil from media, family, friends, but ultimately fed by greed from inside. The rise and fall of these violent crimes will continue, but in the hopes of creating a positive society, efforts must be made by society and law enforcement to support a peaceful and good society. 1

Perhaps we should give the judge a knife and tell her that if she has

Throughout the history, the death penalty is considered to be the ultimate punishment for criminals. There are many arguments that the death penalty should be abolished because it is cruel and inhumane. Many nations have abolished it, but our country, is one of those fifty-eight nations that still practice the death penalty. Therefore, it must be maintained throughout society as a final resort against malevolent criminals, who do not fear other punishments.

Imagine, a mass murder, a killer, a criminal out on the streets once more after managing to escape prison. The amount of horror that sweeps thereafter cannot even begin to be understood. That’s just the case for Ted Bundy, a psychopath who killed over a hundred women managed to escape not once but twice and from there, he continued to kill more women. It is a bewilderment as to how such an outrageous crime can be held under deliberation for an extent of time enabling such escape. Capital punishment should continue to be utilized in moderation because it is a form of justice, acts as a deterrent, and is executed in a moral manner.

For many years, the United States has conducted thousands of executions against criminals some of whom were innocent of their convicted crimes. In The Sacred Band of Stepsons by Chris and Janet Morris state, “Old enough to kill means old enough to die,”(Morris 238). Society condemns the murder of the innocent in every case that comes up on the 5 o'clock news. Murder is a shade of grey. Snuffing out the life of any person is a crime, regardless of authorization given to do such a task qualifies you as a murderer. The flaws of capital punishment have left everyday civilians to question their ethical values and the law’s necessity in today’s society. When a human kills another human, then it is an issue but what gives us the right to put a value on human life? Should killing someone diminish the value of your life? Is a life for a life the only means of maintaining equilibrium?

To this day it is still unknown as to when the first method of capital punishment was employed in America, however it is said that some of the first recorded deaths began in the early sixteen hundreds. As with any government decision there is always backlash from society and capital punishment is no exception. As vile as a felony may be, capital punishment should no longer be allowed. Too many innocent lives have been lost due to lack of representation of the suspect, police manipulating suspects into false confessions, prosecutors rigging lineups by setting suspect's up for immediate failure, and refusal for further investigation. (FN). Failure to meet standard expectations and positioning a suspect up for death is all too common. These situations violate both the eighth amendment which bans infliction of cruel and unusual punishment, and the 14th amendment which bans deprivation and deniment of equal protection. Too many instances of capital punishment fall under violation of cruel and unusual punishment. By way of illustration there have been a number of cases where unusual drug combinations, improper IV placement, and carelessness have lead to strenuous and excruciatingly painful deaths, which violates the 8th amendment of cruel and unusual punishment. In light of the 14th amendment it has been argued in countless cases that this amendment has been violated in terms of execution of juveniles, and execution of the mentally ill and mentally retarded.

When the Europeans came over to America, they brought more than just goods with them. They brought over the practice and ideas of capital punishment. During the early 1600’s in our first colony of Jamestown, the first execution took place. During these times, people who committed petty crimes such as robbery, unlawful trading, and killing livestock were subject to be executed. It is hard to believe that today, people have changed their views juristically towards practicing the death penalty.