The Death Penalty Is Cruel And Unusual Punishment

The death penalty was established as a form of punishment as far back as the 1600's. There are many controversial issue's in our world today whether it goes against our civil rights or not. As of today there are thirty-two states who still allow the death penalty and seven states who have completely abolished it ( Norton,W.W.& Company, Inc 115.) Even though the use of the execution has gradually decreased, there have still been many cases in the past years that states have still used it. At one point there was a time the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional, but after a couple years the court allowed states to bring back the death penalty. The courts have struck down many laws where states have tried making it mandatory in

There are laws and decisions of United States government and higher orders that present controversy to the people of America. In the state of Texas the application of the death penalty is difficult to interpret, especially for the mentally ill, because there is no written law or bill that explains the execution implication in complete detail. The death penalty is a capital punishment of death for those who have committed such high crime. This penalty goes for everyone who does such act no matter who you are, how rich how poor, or where you stand in society. For the longest time, even with the mindset and understanding that those who commit crime to a certain level can receive the execution punishment, the concern and debate whether the mentally

The death penalty till this day remains to be a very controversial topic. Some people may argue that it should be considered a form of cruel and unusual punishment; others may rebuttal in saying that the death penalty is capital punishment. When visiting the idea of placing someone to death one must bear in mind the possibility of condemning an innocent person through such torture, the brutalizing effect on society it may leave, and the serious psychological trauma that a defendants family and friends may face. Is this really what the justice system is willing to place on the line in order to gain a form of so called justice. I mean reasonably speaking what will anyone gain from such an action. It definitely will not bring the harm to be undone. As stated in the encyclopedia under the theory of judicial torture “ the use of torture was confined to capital crimes, for which the death penalty or mutilation could apply” (PIHLAJAM, 2004). Looking at how the death penalty is conducted people should not be treated like animals, given a due time to be put down. No human being deserves such treatment whether or not his or her offense was so horrific and traumatic. Is that not the lesson being taught to society when the criminal is captured? Yet, the law as a jury of peers, men just like the accused, may cast the same sin upon him. Why should this action be considered in any way to be fair or believed to be capital punishment?

The death penalty has been around for centuries. It dates back to when Hammurabi had his laws codified; it was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Capital punishment in America started when spies were caught, put on trial and hung. In the past and still today people argue that, the death penalty is cruel, unusual punishment and should be illegal. Yet many people argue that it is in fact justifiable and it is not cruel and unusual. Capital punishment is not cruel and unusual; the death penalty is fair and there is evidence that the death penalty deters crime. 
A big part of abolitionist’s argument is that the death penalty is not humane. They pull in Amendment 8, “…nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” What the victim went though was indeed “cruel and unusual punishments’.” The murderers’ death is not cruel. The people will demand justice for what he or she has done (Bidinotto 19). Hanging and the electric chair are topics more reasonable to argue, but now because of lethal injection capital punishment has become more humane. The death penalty is not barbaric, the pain and agony that the victim went through is barbaric. Abolitionists were very upset in 1996 when rapist and murderer John Albert Taylor was executed by firing squad; they said his death was barbaric (Feder 32). Charla King, the poor 11-year-old girl he raped and strangled with a telephone cord, her death was barbaric! It makes no sense to think that John

Capital punishment is defined as the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. There are many arguments that are for and against the death penalty. Majority of these arguments contain broad categories ranging from morality to attorney quality. Although most would support that capital punishment is the closest penalty for murder it is still used unequally across the prison populations. Capital punishment is a practice that the judicial system should abolish for the future generations.

The majority of the United States’ perspective and value of capital punishment is to punish and kill prisoners, but with that system nothing is accomplished. Plus, there is no evidence that the death penalty reduces crime. In fact, most people on Death Row committed their crimes in the heat of passion, while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or while suffering from mental illness. They represent a group that is highly unlikely to make rational decisions based on a fear of future consequences for their

2008 murder rate in death penalty states was 41% higher than the non-death penalty states, 2009 the murder rate was 35% higher than the non-death penalty states (Cooper, 2011). As you can see capital punishment had no influence on preventing criminals from doing illegal acts. Therefore, all of the work and energy that goes into executing a criminal in the name of justice is illogical and ineffective.

The death penalty is one of the worst punishments for criminals. There are so many problems rooted in the death penalty.I believe we should get rid of the death penalty because they could be killing an innocent person that has been convicted. We should also get rid of the death penalty because killing someone is more expensive than keeping them in jail for life.People on death row are promised a quick death not a slow and painful one but there have been times when prisoners are taking longer to die and its more painful than it should be.

John Jones, a black man, shot and killed a white store owner during a robbery. He was convicted in a Georgia court and sentenced to death. His lawyers appeal the sentence to the Supreme Court. They argue that statistics in Georgia indicate that killers of whites are 11 times more likely to get the death penalty than killers of blacks. Further, the lawyers claim that since some convicted murderers don’t murderers don’t suffer the death penalty, his client is receiving unequal treatment. Also, the death penalty is imposed and carried out in such an arbitrary fashion that it violates the 8th and 14th Amendment. Finally, they argue that the death penalty is “cruel” punishment because it doesn’t allow for the possibility of reversing an error or

The death penalty has been has been questioned about whether it is a reasonable sentence based on our 8th Amendment Right which protects us from cruel and unusual punishment. In the 1976, Gregg v. Georgia case the U. S. Supreme Court has chose to uphold the death penalty. The only way an offender can be sentenced to the death penalty is if they have intentionally taken the life of the victim. A large number of Americans are afraid of putting an innocent individual to death for a crime they did not commit. Offender’s that are found to be guilty and sentenced to the death penalty sit on death row with more the adequate time to file appeals to their sentences. The average offender spends at least a decade on death row. A Direct Appeal begins with the state’s highest court when anyone is sentenced to the death penalty where offenders are given the opportunity to have the death sentenced overturned. In some states, it is required however, in other states it is the offender’s decision. After the completion of this appeal, it is the offender’s decision to attempt another appeal in a higher court, in attempt to get the sentence of death overturned. If the offender does not get the sentence overturned, the offender will remain sentenced to death most likely by lethal injection; lethal injection is a less painful more humane way to execute the offender. Some states allow

The legal executions first started in California when it was under the Practices Act in 1851. Then in February 14th 1872 it was put in the Penal Code. Capital punish in counties continued until an amendment by the legislature in 1891 said that it could only happen in the State Prisons picked by the court. The first state execution in California happens on March 3rd 1893 at San Quentin and the first one in Folsom was on December 13th 1895. In the 1937’s the legislature decided that instead of hanging people they were going to use lethal gas. This did not affect the people that were already sentenced to be hanged and the last hanging was in December 3rd 1937 at Folsom and the last hanging in Quentin was hold on May 1st 1942.

The death penalty is something that has been debated for many years, as people wonder whether carrying out the death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The definition of cruel and unusual punishment includes deliberately degrading punishment, such as torture or a punishment that is to sever for the crime committed. I believe the death penalty to be inhumane and unnecessary no matter the circumstances. Whether how horrible acts of the criminals are I feel the death penalty is unethical. Clearly, those in favor of the death penalty see the world through the saying “an eye for an eye” or the justification from the idea of retribution. Retribution is like justice such as people are punished because they deserved to be punished

The death penalty, also known as capital punishment or execution, is a punishment that kills someone for committing a crime, usually murder. Almost every place in the world has had a death sentence penalty, but it’s mostly seen in the United States through a judicial system. The death penalty is a cruel and unethical way of justice. There must be a way to solve this complex issue.

The Founding Fathers had in mind that no man ought to be subject to “cruel and unusual punishment”. However, taken out of context nearly 250 years later, the notion of capital punishment may seem both cruel and unusual. The death penalty for capital crimes has stirred not only moral and religious ,but poses an economic issue as well. Opponents of the death penalty cite that Lex talionis, or the idea that one ought to retaliate for wrongs done, is an idea gone and has no place in a new civilized society. Also they does an eye an eye make the whole world blind. The death penalty is a barbaric and inefficient way of punishing criminals. In many areas of the country, the death system of appeals and trials makes up 60-80% of the total criminal

Many who disagree with the death penalty believe it is immoral, discriminates, is very expensive, increases crime, and is only a way to carry out revenge. This, however, is not true. Capital punishment should be legal because it is moral, by not allowing criminals to roam the streets once again. It does not discriminate against those of color or the poor, and is actually less expensive than life imprisonment. The most important reason why the death penalty should be legal is because it deters crime.