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The Death Penalty

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The death penalty has been a controversial issue here in the states. It has lived since the 18 B.C. and is still existing in the 21st century. Began with crucifixion, to the failure of lethal injection, and surprisingly a firing squad. None of these sound like a good way to die. We have killed people who were innocent. Not only that, but also its cost is pretty high. Whether it’s actually lowering our crime rates is becoming a problem. The problem lies with the states whether they 'll allow it or not. The Supreme Court has their except for certain circumstances. All of these factors have an impact on how the process works today.
The death penalty laws go far back to the eighteenth century B.C. The Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon made …show more content…

From colony to colony the laws varied for the death penalty. Massachusetts Bay Colony has its first execution in 1630. New York put into effect Duke 's Laws of 1665. These laws made hitting one 's parents, denying the "true God" punishable by death (Randa).
In the colonial times the abolitionist movements started. The following five created it, Europeans, Montesquieu, Voltaire and Bentham, English Quakers John Bellers and John Howard. What influenced the world the most was the famous book, On Crimes and Punishment. Cesare Beccaria wrote this essay. His theory was that "no justification for the state 's taking of a life" (Randa). America became influenced by his ideas. Thomas Jefferson took the first step and introduced the bill to revise Virginia 's death penalty laws. It was proposing the capital punishment would only be allowed for murder and treason. Treason is the crime of betraying one 's country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government (Oxford). Not only was Jefferson influenced but also a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He also was the founder of the Pennsylvania Prison Society. He believed in "brutalization effect", death penalty was a deterrent (Schabas). Later in 1794 this state repealed the death penalty for all offense. The only exception was first degree murder. According to the Officer of the United States attorney 's website, first degree murder is defined

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