The Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishment

The idea of capital punishment was brought over from Britain, when the founding fathers declared independence. Our ancestors quickly buy the idea of the death penalty, arguing that it was a common part of life. The death penalty was then implemented in Europe and used for various crimes. The first recorded execution in America occurred in Jamestown, 1608. A man named George Kendall was executed for treason. In the earlier colonial days, laws regarding capital punishment varied area to area.

Capital Punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the gravest punishment in the U.S. criminal justice system (Van den Haag, E., & Olin, J. M., 1986); It is the legal killing of a person guilty of committing heinous and malum in se acts against the public, such as the intentional killing of an individual, intentionally committing an act of violence knowing that it may be deadly to an individual, inflicting injury to a victim resulting in death, etc. (18 U.S. Code § 3591). According to the U.S. Code,

When the time came around for colonists to discover America, death being a form of punishment was brought and introduced. The first recorded execution in America was in Virginia in 1608. Captain George Kendall was executed for being a spy in Spain. (DeathPenaltyinfo.org) Virginia’s death penalty laws in the early colonial times were a bit extreme. For example, one could be sentenced to death for stealing grapes, or trading with an Indian. In the late 1700’s following the abolitionist movement, capital punishment was being viewed differently in some cases. Cesare Beccaria released an essay titled “On Crimes and Punishment” it immediately shook the world and had a big influence. It was first released it Italy, before making it to America this essay influenced Austria and Tuscany to abolish capital punishment laws. (Deathpenaltyinfo.org) The essay influenced Thomas Jefferson to consider revising Virginia’s death penalty laws. Over the years, capital punishment was always debated as justifiable form of punishment, and it still is to this day.

The vast majority of Americans have a rational and firm position concerning capital punishment, regardless of which position they hold. The supporters of capital punishment adamantly state it serves as a crime deterrent, while serving justice for our society and is morally right. Whereas the opponents believe that capital punishment is racially bias towards African Americans and other that other forms of punishment can be used without the government taking human life, and is immorally wrong. I personally think capital punishment is it is a vital part of our United States criminal justice system, just as it was in the Old Testament. The Old Testament states that it was a major element of the justice system in Israel. “Justice in God’s eyes requires that the response to an offense, whether against God or against humanity, be balanced. The lex talionis (“law of the talion”) served as a restraint, a limitation, to ensure the punishment would be no greater than the crime” (Colson, 2017).

Since the early sixteen-hundreds execution has always been a way to punish someone who’d murdered a person or committed a crime of treason. Ever since 1972 The United State Supreme Justice Courts created Capital Punishment, making a person applicable for the death penalty. In select U. S states a person could earn the penalty by aggravated rape, first - second degree murder, the killing of a Police Officer, killing a political figure / court member in or out of an active court hearing. Therefore, in 2017 only twenty lethal injections have occurred for now, but more participants are still on trial. Although there are restrictions to execution, in the Hall verses Florida Case Freddie Lee Hall would find that he’d be getting away from the death penalty by Judicial Court law.

Capital punishment has been a sentence for many years, but it dates back to Eighteenth Century B.C. During this time there was 25 crimes that could be committed that would result in the death penalty. The most common forms of the Capital Punishment were hanging, beheading, stoning, and other vicious forms of death(https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty). Eventually Capital Punishment was reinstated, which only sentenced criminals to death in the case of “ aircraft hijacking… a drug-related drive-by shooting, murder during a kidnapping, murder for hire, and genocide”(https://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004927). There is of course plenty of other capital offenses that will result in the death penalty, but these are the most common. With this sentence comes quite a few drawbacks when it comes to the political side of it. To understand what the most significant issues political leaders face when it comes to Capital punishment, first it’s crucial to know what Capital punishment is. Capital punishment, also known as the Death Penalty, is a terminal punishment given by the state, and is sentenced to someone who has been convicted of an intensely cruel criminal offense. Capital Punishment is an intricate issue, but the main questions imposed are what is the problem, how does it directly affect the political process, and why its more significant than other worldly issues?

A famous expression, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” has become the basis for this political debate over the past several decades --- capital punishment. In society today, many people are murdered every day by the hands of another human being. Those who are for capital punishment promote that it is a deterrent for crime, provides closure, and is a moral punishment for those who choose to take a human life. Those not in favor of it argue that it is an ineffective crime deterrent, sends the wrong message, and is more expensive than sentencing a murderer to life in prison. When those who commit these heinous crimes are found guilty in the court of law, the loved ones of the victims often wants the murderer to be sentenced to

Capital punishment is a government practice where guilty defendants are put to death by the state as a way of punishment for their crime. These crimes are typically related to treason, espionage and violent murder, and many find difficulty in finding a punishment to fit these extreme crimes. The debate regarding the morality and overall functionality of the punishment has been long debated. Some believe it is immoral and against the eighth amendment which ruled cruel and unusual punishment illegal. Others believe it is a fitting punishment for heinous crime. However, the death penalty is legal in thirty-one states and has seen many complications. Some inmates on death row have been found innocent based on new evidence, as well as discovered how cost ineffective the treatment is. Harsh prison life is also argued to be worse than facing death for a crime.

There are around 3,000 people that are sent to jail/prison every day, and costs $24,000 a year to incarcerate them. There are lots of morbid ways to execute someone who has allegedly committed a crime: lethal injection, hanging, electrocution, gas chamber, and firing squad. Though it’s a major controversial topic in America, some believe that anyone who commits a crime should have their life confiscated from them. Prisoners shouldn’t be executed no matter how cruel, wicked, and sinful the crime was. Most people can say that prisoners are supposed to have their life confiscated from them because they violated the law which leads them to being punished, and won’t make the same mistake as they did. But isn’t life sacred? Capital punishment is debated as either a justice or an inhumane act. The debate whether the individual should die or not is either an inhumane act or it brings justice. Does the U.S. entirely know if they’re executing the prisoner who was waiting on death row be innocent or not? Can we be a civilized society, even when we kill our own citizens? Capital punishment jeopardizes innocent people’s lives, violates the eight amendment of the Bill of Rights and the fifth and the third article of the Declaration of Human Rights (DHR).

Most opponents of the death penalty abhor it for ethical and moral reasons. However, it is not unreasonable to think that some would oppose it in order to facilitate punishments in a different manner. One example of this would be David Zink who in 2001 abducted, sexual assaulted, and the murdered a 19 year old girl in a gruesome act of violence. Only in 2015 was he given the death sentence where he would be lethally injected in accordance with Missouri laws. Before his execution though his final words were:

Over half the world’s countries have abolished the death penalty, the United States of America is one of the countries who haven’t. Out of the 50 states, 28 of the states don’t practice the death penalty, meaning 32 states still practice Capital punishment. Capital punishment is one of the most debated topics in America. Every argument brought up by one side of the debate is immediately challenged by the opposing side. Everyone appears to have a stance in this ongoing dispute. Although some opponents support capital punishment, it should be abolished and an alternate found in its place because it doesn’t give the victim’s family closure, the inhumane conditions during death row, and the fact it doesn’t work as a deterrent. Capital punishment is one of the most debated topics in America. Every argument brought up by one side of the debate is immediately challenged by the opposing side. Everyone appears to have a stance in this ongoing dispute. Although some opponents support capital punishment, it should be abolished and an alternate found in its place because it doesn’t give the victim’s family closure, the inhumane conditions during death row, and the fact it doesn’t work as a deterrent.

Capital punishment, seen by some as a justifiable way to punish offenders of a crime. Seen by others as an uncivilized and inhumane action carried out by the corrections system. Easily seen as one of the most controversial issues in society. There are many different factors that go into death penalty cases. One factor involves the burden that the death penalty puts on those involved in the case. The question lies in what is considered burdensome. A burden is subjecting a person to experiences that are unpleasant or hard to deal with. When a person is dealing with a burden, one may show symptoms of depression, being burnout, and anxiety. By asking target driven questions, a conclusion could be drawn as to whether one group has more of a burden than another group. The answers given by attorneys involved in death penalty cases compared to attorneys that never deal with capital punishment will be evaluated. The differences in these answers could drive the conclusion that the death penalty is too burdensome on society.

Capital punishment also known as the death penalty is a government sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. In 2004 four (China, Iran, Vietnam and the US) accounted for 97 percent of all global executions. On average, every 9-10 days a government in the United States executes a prisoner.(kathy Gill 2017) There are a lot of different kinds of capital punishment. Capital punishment was the use of long time ago, in this time a lot of country cancel Capital Punishment. In this time for Capital Punishment is used Lethal Injection.In America there 33 states have Capital Punishment, and another 17 states cancel the Capital Punishment. As of April 1, 2008, the Death Penalty was authorized by 37 states, the Federal Government, and the U.S. Military. Those jurisdictions without the Death Penalty include 13 states and the District of Columbia. (Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin).(D P) Capital Punishment should be legal and use in our country because it can help to deter against crimes, save money for the government and help us to treat everyone fair. In our country capital punishment need to be used every State.

Imagine, one day you start your day off like normal when suddenly a tragedy strikes, your parents or loved ones were brutally murdered during a home invasion, luckily the suspects were caught. The amount of rage and emotion that would fill you would be immense but you would be left thinking, whats next? What is going to happen to those that chose to inflict such harm on you and your family. The answer, capital punishment, a form of punishment that is often times under heavy fire for being a form of cruel and unusual punishment. In my eyes, capital punishment is not at all wrong and in most cases where it is enforced it’s justified.

Capital punishment could be the reason that crime rates are evolving. Individuals are more averse to perpetrate a crime realizing that there is a plausibility for them to be executed. Spending life in prison is sufficiently reasonable to offenders as opposed to capital punishment and along these lines they are more inclined to perpetrating the crimes instead of considering the outcomes. The death penalty discourages people from carrying out violations, as well as ensures that lawbreakers get what they merit. Supporters of the death penalty trust that offenders ought to be executed if a murder is engaged with the crime. The years with the most minimal crime rates were amid the mid-1960s. Capital punishment began to end up noticeably extremely questionable with just 47% of U.S. nationals supporting execution (Desilver, 2014). It was exhibited that as crime rates diminished, bolster for execution diminished also, with a positive relationship between both crime rates and support for the death penalty. 1991, be that as it may, was the most exceedingly bad year for fierce violations in the United States and of course it was where the clear majority bolstered the death penalty, around 80% of Americans (Desilver, D. 2014). This demonstrates bolster for execution varies all through time and groups of the casualties are thought about when the theme of capital punishment comes up. There was an expansion of capital punishment supporters following the time of 2001, where a