Mr. Lees lawyers and other death penalty opponents are entitled to disagree with that sentiment. Why its a good source: This article gives a lot of good statistics and links about public perception of the death sentence and how it has changed over time. Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Do you support the use of capital punishment? Find all of our Student Opinion questions in this column. Have an idea for a Student Opinion question? By inflicting death on those who deliberately inflict death on others, the death penalty ensures justice for all. McCleskey's attorneys argued that his Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated because his race made it statistically more likely that he would receive the death penalty. Why its a good source: This article also gives important points to work from, similar to the previous article, and it works to detract from the arguments of death penalty supporters. The article lists his responses to common arguments from those opposed to the death penalty, such as the racial biases and whether the death penalty actually deters criminals. Death penalty pros and cons have always been a matter of debate. It is a very complex issue, and context on the crime is essential. Capital Punishment Essay Writing Tips. In 2017 officials in Arkansas came under criticism for expediting the schedule of eight executions by lethal injection before the state's supply of available drugs reached its expiration date. Opponents of the death penalty have also focused their arguments on the mental capacity of those found guilty of capital offenses. More than eight-in-ten Democrats (83%) instead say that Black people are more likely than White people to be sentenced to the death penalty for committing similar crimes. The Supreme Court has held the death penalty to be constitutional. How do we continue to track changes in public opinion when theres a shift in survey mode?, Differing views of death penalty by race and ethnicity, education, ideology, Intraparty differences in support for the death penalty, Differences by race and ethnicity, education over whether there are racial disparities in death penalty sentencing, Overwhelming share of death penalty supporters say it is morally justified. The American people have repeatedly ratified that decision, including through the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994 signed by President Bill Clinton, the federal execution of Timothy McVeigh under President George W. Bush and the decision by President Barack Obamas Justice Department to seek the death penalty against the Boston Marathon bomber and Dylann Roof. The issue has elicited divisive opinion among the citizens with one faction opposing it while another advocates for it as a deterrent for crime. These days, after President Trumps appointment of three justices, liberal members of the court have lost all hope of abolishing capital punishment. Death penalty is associated with both pros and cons as it is examined below. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. According to data from Amnesty International, there were 579 executions in 2021, which represents a 20% increase from 2020. But his execution date was announced almost a year ago, and was initially set for last December. An eye for an eye has been a law for ages. CORRECTION (July 13, 2021): The following sentence was updated to reflect the correct timespan: Last year, in part because of the coronavirus outbreak, fewer people were executed than in any year in nearly three decades. The changes did not affect the reports substantive findings. Being killed by lethal injection or being electrocuted is not always smooth and . On July 2, 1976, the Supreme Court handed down five decisions in cases that originated in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas, collectively referred to as the July 2 cases, or by the name of the lead case, Gregg v. Georgia. For death penalty supporters, one major pro is its effectiveness as a crime deterrent. Punitive dealings provide a necessary atonement and restore the moral balance disturbed by sin. But let's stop for a minute here. Giving the death penalty as a punishment simply restores order to society and adequately punishes the criminal for his wrongdoing. The Center was founded in 1990 and prepares in-depth reports, issues press releases, conducts briefings for journalists, and serves as a resource to those working on this issue. The Innocence Project, founded in 1992, focuses on providing legal services and DNA testing with the purpose of winning exoneration for wrongfully convicted prisoners. Toobin, Jeffrey. Some states attempted to circumvent regulations, resulting in the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seizing drug supplies from prisons in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Majorities of White (63%), Asian (63%) and Hispanic adults (56%) favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder. For decades, the death penalty has been decreasing around the world, but it hasn't disappeared yet. About a quarter of Democrats (23%) strongly oppose the death penalty, compared with 17% who strongly favor it. Also, check with your teacher to see if you should be using a different type of citation style in your paper (such as APA or Chicago). Bryan Stevenson. Theyll look over it and give you suggestions to make it the best it can be. He had set out his arguments in a major dissent in 2015, one that must have been on Justice Scalias mind when he made his comments a few months later. Explore elections plans geared toward the 2020 presidential election but adaptable for many other elections and presidential history lessons. If there is even a small possibility of putting an innocent person to death, we should abstain from the . Retribution also serves justice for murder victims and their families. Inside, the mood was somber. Anti-death penalty campaigners have been hoping the Biden administration would end the federal death penalty and commute sentences of the remaining 45 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment. However, he backs up his emotional statements with statistics and links to studies that indicate that the death penalty is costly, doesnt necessarily deter murders, and is imposed on people who are innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. The death penalty is one of the most contentious issues in our society today. Some of the cons of capital punishment include the following; Death penalty is a great burden to taxpayers financially because the actual cost of carrying out capital punishment is approximated to be 2-5 times higher than leaving the offender in prison for as many . Four of the eight inmates were ultimately executed, while four received stays of execution. 108 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, while 144 countries have abolished it in law or practice. The term death penalty is sometimes used interchangeably with capital . Web. In 1999 state governments carried out ninety-eight executions, the highest number since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty. Are there alternatives to the death penalty that you think would be more appropriate? Just over three-quarters of Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party (77%) say they favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, including 40% who strongly favor it. Nearly eight-in-ten (78%) say there is some risk that an innocent person will be put to death, while only 21% think there are adequate safeguards in place to prevent that from happening. (2001) "Capital Punishment," by Ryan Koder. It then covers the popular opinions of death penalty sentences, and goes on to state and give statistics indicating that state executions deter anywhere from 2 to 20 murders within Texas annually. About half of those ages 18 to 29 (51%) favor the death penalty, compared with about six-in-ten adults ages 30 to 49 (58%) and those 65 and older (60%). The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, the nation's oldest antideath penalty nonprofit organization, was founded in 1976 and focuses on ending the practice through mass organization, providing legal assistance, and educating people about the death penalty. An overwhelming share of death penalty supporters (90%) say it is morally justified under such circumstances, compared with 25% of death penalty opponents. Crimes punishable by death are called capital offenses. Eden Meirow is a full-time copywriter and part-time freelance writer. The dissenting opinion argued that the defendant had, in fact, sufficiently demonstrated that the use of lethal injection in this case met the standards for an Eighth Amendment challenge previously established by the court itself. It can be used in both pro- and anti-death penalty essays. What role do you think disability or trauma history should play in how someone is punished, or rehabilitated, after committing a crime? After an appellate court rejected their claim as without merit, the Justice Department rescheduled Mr. Lees execution, providing an additional four weeks of notice. Instead of serving a lifelong custodial sentence, the criminal will wait on 'death row', eventually being executed. Critics cast doubt on its value as a crime deterrent and argued that the courts applied it inconsistently and unequally. I have ten death penalty articles that will help you turn a stale topic into a well-written and interesting essay. Black prisoners accounted for 41% of death row inmates, far higher than their 13% share of the nation's adult population that year. What other ideas do you have? Moreover, more than six-in-ten Americans (63%), including about half of death penalty supporters (48%), say the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes. By comparison, just 35% of Republicans and 21% of Democrats who oppose the death penalty say it is morally justified. 6. Eric Risberg/AP. A nationwide shortage of sodium thiopental, the barbiturate anesthetic used in lethal injections, emerged in 2009 after the only pharmaceutical plant in the United States approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture the drug announced it was stopping production. The article continues: If Justice Breyer sounded rueful, it was because he had just a few years ago held out hope that the court would reconsider the constitutionality of capital punishment. Among the public overall, 64% say the death penalty is morally justified in cases of murder, while 33% say it is not justified. How people can support the death penalty? Two months after these executions, on March 24, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill passed by the Democratic-majority state legislature that abolished the death penalty in the state. Abolishing the death penalty is the only way to prevent bias in its application and ensure that no person is executed by the government erroneously or unconstitutionally. Yet, in less than a year, with the promulgation of a . Democrats and Democratic leaners are more divided on this issue: 46% favor the death penalty, while 53% are opposed. Yet on the day of the rescheduled execution, after family members of his victims had traveled to Terre Haute, Ind., to witness the execution, a District Court granted Mr. Lees request for further review. Why its a good source: The article uses findings from a variety of sources to support its claim of capital punishment leading to lower homicide rates. Furman's death sentence was found to be "cruel and unusual punishment" that contravened the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution. What its about: This article does not seek emotional appeals to the readers, but cites the e statistically fewer numbers of death penalty sentences and executions. In January 2021 the federal government executed Lisa Marie Montgomery, the first woman to receive such a punishment from the federal government in sixty-seven years. This month, for the first time in 17 years, the United States resumed carrying out death sentences for federal crimes. Purification, one of the most central of biblical themes, reveals to us both the temporal and eternal perspectives on humanity. The New York Times Company, 19 Dec. 2013. Both rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948. Among Republicans who oppose the death penalty, about half (53%) say this. (Deterrence) 2.73: 1.27: 2.71: 1.36: 0.16 I become angry when a convicted murderer does not receive the death penalty . Half of those who favor the death penalty say this, compared with 13% of those who oppose it. A grand jury determined in 2016 that state officials had committed a long list of oversights and avoidable mistakes in carrying out executions. Overall this article points out the flaws of the death penalty system in Texas, but does not take a stance against the concept of the death penalty in general. (Retribution) 3.05: 1.28: 2.88: 1.31: 0.78 The death penalty is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment. Similarly, those who favor the death penalty are more likely to say it deters people from committing serious crimes. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty Despite Concerns About Its Administration, Death penalty draws more Americans support online than in telephone surveys, What our transition to online polling means for decades of phone survey trends, Trends are a cornerstone of public opinion research. It also means using articles from both points of view. Between 2000 and 2020, with few exceptions, the number of state executions performed annually dropped each year, with the exceptions of 2017 and 2018. When the District Court again imposed another last-minute stoppage, granting more time for Mr. Purkeys lawyers to argue (among other things) that he did not understand the reason for his execution, the Justice Department again sought Supreme Court review. The abolitionist movement to end capital punishment also influenced state legislatures. Web. It says that capital punishment serves as retribution for victims and their families, as well as a deterrence for other murders. Top 9 Pro Death Penalty Arguments. Though their use is rare, secondary execution methods permitted by individual state laws include electrocution, gas inhalation, hanging, and firing squad. The death penalty remains popular, broadly speaking: In 2020, Gallup reported that Americans favored maintaining the death penalty for convicted murderers by a 55 percent to 43 percent. That process creates peace for the victims, their families, and society in general. Pro death penalty for this essay pdf automatic . Due in part to rising jury nullifications, which effectively allowed guilty criminals to be set free, state legislatures began to pass laws in 1838 that rejected mandatory application of the death penalty in favor of jury discretion in sentencing. California, Texas and Florida hold nearly half of the country's death row prisoners, according to a new Bureau of Justice Statistics report. About eight-in-ten Democrats (83%), including fully 94% of liberal Democrats and three-quarters of conservative and moderate Democrats, say Black people are more likely than White people to be sentenced to death for committing the same type of crime a view shared by just 25% of Republicans (18% of conservative Republicans and 38% of moderate and liberal Republicans). Under US constitutional law, states have the right to apply their own criminal statutes including capital punishment. Since our nation's founding, the government -- colonial, federal, and state -- has punished a varying percentage of arbitrarily-selected murders with the ultimate sanction: death. These rulings overturned existing standards for evidence and jury agreement when imposing the death penalty. All right, lets get started with four pro-death penalty articles. About four-in-ten (39%) oppose the death penalty, with 15% strongly opposed, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The cost of capital punishment is extraordinary. Mercy and pardon are proper to God . The United States Constitution expressly contemplates capital crimes, and Congress has authorized the death penalty for serious federal offenses since President George Washington signed the Crimes Act of 1790. Large shares of Americans express concerns over how the death penalty is administered and are skeptical about whether it deters people from committing serious crimes. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. About seven-in-ten Republicans (72%) say that White people and Black people are equally likely to be sentenced to death for the same types of crimes. Capital punishment enables the state to assert its authority over the people and serve in its role as the administrator of justice. Gillespie, Nick. That cautious step, taken to ensure undoubted compliance with court orders, is irreconcilable with the suggestion that the department rushed the execution or disregarded any law. Nearly seven-in-ten adults (68%) who have not attended college favor the death penalty, as do 63% of those who have some college experience but no degree. This in-depth article examines US state legislation that has impacted death sentencing in capital crimes. What Americans Dont Understand About the Death Penalty. The Atlantic. Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, has long been a feature of human society and has been used in the United States since the colonial era. Mr. Lees final hours awaiting his fate were a result of his own lawyers choice to assert a non-meritorious objection at the last moment. Mr. Lees lawyers also disregarded the cost to victims families of continued delay. Since then, the Trump administration has executed 13 inmates, more than three times as many as the federal government had put to death in the previous six decades. You have probably had to write about a fair share of boring essay topics, but this time, youve been dealt a topic that you think is completely played outthe death sentence. And if death sentences are going to be imposed, they cannot just be hypothetical; they eventually have to be carried out, or the punishment will lose its deterrent and retributive effects. If you're writing a paper about the death penalty, you can start with this list of sources, which provide arguments for all sides of the topic. John Duncan the father of the victim Lori Duncan and grandfather of her slain daughters, Kandace (age 10) and Amber (age 6) had urged Mr. Honkens execution for years. This award-winning online reference resource features a highly-respected, diversified mix of content including scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, books, newspapers, reports and videos. However, a worldwide poll conducted in 2006 indicates that 52% of the world's population supports the death penalty. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The decision to seek the death penalty against Mr. Lee was made by Attorney General Janet Reno (who said she personally opposed the death penalty but was bound by the law) and reaffirmed by Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder. While 85% of Black adults say Black people are more likely than White people to be sentenced to death for committing similar crimes, a narrower majority of Hispanic adults (61%) and about half of White adults (49%) say the same. Republicans are consistently more likely than Democrats to favor the death penalty, though there are divisions within each party by age as well as by race and ethnicity. Rather than forthrightly opposing the death penalty and attempting to change the law through democratic means, however, Mr. Lees lawyers and others have chosen the legal and public-relations equivalent of guerrilla war. Opponents counter that it is an immoral and costly practice that is particularly vulnerable to racial bias. His successor, Joe Biden, has voiced opposition to the death penalty and stated his intention to introduce reforms. However, just 26% of Democrats who favor the death penalty say that Black and White people are equally likely to receive this sentence, and only 6% of Democrats who oppose the death penalty say this. Is it ever justified, such as for the most heinous crimes? Since then, the Trump administration has executed 13 inmates, more than three times as many as the federal government had in the previous six decades. For each article I give you, Ive also included an MLA citation. Scheidegger is a California lawyer who is a staunch pro-death penalty supporter. The judge who imposed the death sentence on Mr. Honken, Mark Bennett, said that while he generally opposed the death penalty, he would not lose any sleep over Mr. Honkens execution. A top Justice Department official says for many Americans the death penalty is a difficult issue on moral, religious and policy grounds. "Capital Punishment." However, later on this type of punishment came to be regarded as a . And Justice Anthony M. 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