ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: death-penalty

It brought new, tougher laws for sex offenders, as well as better monitoring of their actions, and maybe even a new respect for what they can be capable of. In addition, it brought more attention to child abuse, both mental and physical, and what effect if can have on our behavior as an adult. It made us ask at what point an individual should be held accountable for his or her actions. In this case, maybe that question is best answered by John Evander Couey himself. He said that he was under the influence of crack-cocaine when he abducted Jessica Lunsford and that he would apologize to her in heaven. If he was not aware that his actions were wrong, why would he feel the need to apologize?
Topic: death-penalty

Incapacitation- Capital punishment also serves to effectively prevent murderers from killing again. This incapacitation effect is particularly important because of the continuing risk posed by those who have already taken a human life. For example, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, of 52,000 state prison inmates serving time for murder in 1984, an estimated 810 had previously been convicted of murder. Had some of these murderers been given the death penalty for their first murders, innocent people would have been spared. . Only a capital sentence can permanently end the threat to others posed by the most serious murderers.
Topic: death-penalty

A murder trial normally takes much longer when the death penalty is at issue than when it is not. Litigation costs – including the time of judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and court reporters, and the high costs of briefs – are mostly borne by the taxpayer. A 1982 study showed that were the death penalty to be reintroduced in New York, the cost of the capital trial alone would be more than double the cost of a life term in prison.
Topic: death-penalty

Statistical evidence conducted on cases of similar crimes found that African American defendants are over four times as likely to be executed as their White counterparts. A similar study noted that White defendants face almost no chance of execution when their victim is African-American. While African Americans make up only 13% of the U.S. population, over 40% of death-row inmates are African-American. In light of these gross inequalities, the continuation of capital punishment constitutes egregious discrimination. it is also true that those on death row come disproportionately from low-income and high-crime geographic areas. That such areas are disproportionately populated by African Americans is a tragic correlation, painting a troubling portrait of a nation that lacks equality.
Topic: death-penalty

Capital punishment is a difficult issue to address and has been the subject of highly controversial debates over the decades. The United States Supreme Court decided in Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty was a form of cruel and unusual punishment. However, just three years later in 1975, the Supreme Court reversed their decision, and executions resumed under state regulation. The death penalty is considered the harshest from of punishment enforced today. The most common method used to implement this task is lethal injection; although, the electric chair is still used in some states.
Topic: death-penalty

The argument against capital punishment relies on myth, propaganda, and misplaced emotion. Many people against the death sentence claim that the justice system is discriminatory. This statement is blatantly false. African-Americans and other minorities are not impacted unfairly by the justice system. The fact of the matter is the majority of those executed since 1976 have been Caucasian males. If the death penalty is truly discriminatory, then it is biased against white murderers and not blacks, because figures show that African-Americans make up a majority of those convicted of murder. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, blacks committed 51.5% of murders between 1976 and 1999, while whites committed 46.5%. The latest of hate crime laws are likely to only exacerbate the hypocrisy. A “hate crimes” frame of mind translates into tougher sentences for interracial crimes. Since Caucasians are killed by African-Americans 2.6 times more often then the other way around, more killers of Caucasians will be predisposed to receiving the death penalty.Finances are also argued frequently on the topic of capital punishment.
Topic: death-penalty

“It costs more to execute a person than to keep him or her in prison for life. A 1993 California study argues that each death penalty case costs at least $1.25 million more than a regular murder case and a sentence of life without the possibility of parole” (Deathpenalty.org). This statement deserves no response, because the figures are not perfect, and are dubious at best. Nevermind the fact that justice should not be up for sale. Serving justice is not about saving money, and should not be treated as if it were an item being contracted, trying to get the “lowest bid.”Retribution is an additional reason for capital punishment, which some opponents of capital punishment confuse with vengeance. As a sound principle of natural law and common sense, the punishment should fit the crime. For example, if someone had been convicted of the assassination of the president, and the judge had sentenced him or her to only five years in prison, the nation would have been properly outraged. Having a fit punishment for the crime committed has been around since the beginning of civilization.
Topic: death-penalty

Hammurabi’s Code of Law, developed long before the birth of Christ, claims retribution as, “an eye for an eye, life for a life”. Retribution makes capital punishment justifiable because it is an injustice to tolerate such unimaginable horror.If one commits a crime, he or she should be ready to accept the consequences. Murder is a crime that involves the loss of innocent life, and that act needs to be rightly punished. Murderers should not receive an overextended welcome in a prison. Those who commit these serious offenses do not belong in society. Realistically there is no solid argument against the death penalty. If society were to take capital punishment away, the public would not have an effective justice system and crimes against innocent people would continue. Opponents of the death sentence need to accept the fact that capital punishment is fair and just. Using lies and deceit will only go so far. The people of this country are smart enough to realize the difference between fact and fiction, and the truth is capital punishment works.
Topic: death-penalty

The death penalty or capital punishment has been part of our humanity for years and years. Existed since ancient times, according to people a person who has committed an atrocious act, was sentence to death penalty or capital punishment. The death penalty begins back in the 18th century B.C. in the code of king Hammaurabi of Baylon; who was accused of committing 25 crimes. In years past, the punishments where more crucial then today, the execution procedures had no boundaries, forms of killing where endless.
Topic: death-penalty

Drowning, whacking, “damnatio ad Bestia” which was death cause by a wild animal, dismemberment: dividing the body into quarter-usually with an ax, throwing then off a high place, impalement: one of the most crucial consisting in beating them with a stick, buried alive, the guillotine: decapitation, wretch they refer as the “quick, clean and humane” way of doing the killing, death by torture, stoning crucifying was also consider a death penalty act. Jesus Christ was crucified in Jerusalem part of his punishment for being the son of God.
Topic: death-penalty

(1. History of death penalty) One of the cases that reach the Supreme Court and change the laws in the United States about the death penalty was the case of Furman v. Georgia in 1971. William Henry Furman claimed that his sentencing violated his rights guaranteed by the 14th amendment. (The 14th Amendment was passed after the American Civil War, and was designed to prevent states from denying due process and equal protection under the law to their citizens.
Topic: death-penalty

The equal protection of the laws, gradually the Supreme Court interpreted the amendment to mean the guarantees of the bill of rights apply to the states as well as the national government.) (2. Our documents) Furman’s v. Georgia: Furman was a 26year old man with very little education. A man that struggle his whole life about making a living, was very depressed and moody all the time there were days when he didn’t have anything to eat, and that’s when he started breaking into homes to be able to survive.
Topic: death-penalty

He was caught a couple of times but was giving a light or suspended sentence. A psychiatrist had already diagnosed him with emotionally disturbed and mentally impaired. But was still entering homes in order to live. On August 11, 1967 Furman enter a home and was going through some things when he heard a noise and try to escape the home, some said he drop the gun and when it hit the ground it shot and others said he felt and the gun discharge killing Mr. William Joseph Micke Jr. a husband and father of 5 children. The death was truly a tragic, it was an accident that resulted in murder, and his carrying a gun was to protect himself in case or to even scare a person and be able to run without any incidents.
Topic: death-penalty

Furman despite of his conditions was convicted of murder and sentence to death in a one day trial. Although Furman did not intend to kill the resident he regales committed murder during the commission of a felony, and was an aggravating factor, and the one in particular which made him eligible for the death penalty (3. Murderpedia) When the trial approached he pleaded not guilty by means of insanity, which was the advice of his appointed attorney. The court at that time order another psychiatric test and the physicians who examined agreed that he was mentally deficient and in the report they concluded that Furman experienced mild to moderate psychotic episodes associate with convulsive disorder. After a few weeks in a hospital assigned by the court, the Dr. said he knows what’s right from wrong and that he was competent to stand trial for murder.
Topic: death-penalty

Although killing was an accident, the state of Georgia at the time authorized that the death penalty be giving weather a murder took place during the commission of a felony. Furman had one thing going against him at all times; he was a black man in the 60s and 70s and most blacks guilty of committing murder in that state was a reason enough to sentence to death penalty. In 1972 the case reach the Supreme Court which they rule 5-4 that the death penalty as then administered violated the 8th amendment proscription against cruel and unusual punishment and the 14th amendment equal protection clause.
Topic: death-penalty

The courts typically issue the decision with a majority opinion written and sign by one of the justices. On occasion the court will issue a per curiam decision which takes the form of a brief, unassigned opinion. All 9 judges had different opinions, although 5 justices voted to reverse the death sentences, there concurring opinions revealed that it was shaky coalition. Each majority justice, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Stewart, Mr. White, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Brennan, wrote a separate concurring opinion supporting the majority decision. Each believed that Furman had indeed been deprived of his constitutional rights. The justices could not agree on an argument striking down the death penalty across the board, however. This unusual procedure reflected not only the intense differences of opinion within the majority, but also the difficulty of deciding the constitutionality—or presumed lack thereof—of the death sentence.
Topic: death-penalty

The four dissenters, Chief Justice Burger and Justices Blackmun, Powell, and Rehnquist, also wrote extensive opinions expressing their views against the majority opinion. Several argued taking the position of judicial restraint that the death penalty was a matter for the people to decide, through their legislatures. Others argued that emotional appeals were not appropriate in Supreme Court opinions. Finally, the dissenters were disturbed by the erosion of federalism and the unnecessarily invasive judicial activism practiced by the justices of the Warren Court. They said that it was disproportionally applied to the “poor and despised” that it was applied in an arbitrary and capricious fashion.” Justice Douglas was the man that came up with the idea to review the historic of the death sentence penalty for both America and England.
Topic: death-penalty

This justice noticed that the laws was extremely unfair because it was applied only to the minorities, the outcast and the smaller population in the country. He decide that the death penalty was unusual and against Gods Plan. Furman centered on the convictions and death sentences of 3 African American men. His case ended changing the way they see each individual case. (4. Law Cornell My opinion on this case is that everyone should be treaty equally, his intent was to commit a crime of robbery not a murder.
Topic: death-penalty

Unfortunaly we are all aware that the criminal justice system in the United States is imperfect and that we are aware of the flaws that exist within our system. I would of punished him with many years in prison but not the death penalty due to it wasn’t his intentions. Furman did not outlaw the death penalty. It just required states to prevent random, racial, unfair results by giving juries management to apply the death penalty fairly. After Furman, most states modified their death penalty laws. The new laws created a two-phase system for death penalty cases. In the first phase, the jury decides if the defendant is guilty of murder. In the second phase, the jury hears new evidence to decide if the defendant deserves the death penalty.
Topic: death-penalty

The new laws gave juries guidance for making this decision. (1,2,3,4) Following the case of Furman v. Georgia in 1972, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty systems were unconstitutional violations of the Eighth Amendment’s prevention on “cruel and unusual” punishments. After this case many states changed their death penalty laws. Four years later in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the Court reaffirmed the death penalty as constitutional. Troy Gregg had been found guilty of murder and armed robbery and sentenced to death. He asked the Court to go further than it had in the Furman case, and rule the death penalty itself unconstitutional. The Court refused to do so. The Court found that Georgia’s system for applying the death penalty was “judicious” and “careful.” Gregg had gone through two trials – one to determine guilt and one for sentencing.
Topic: death-penalty

Further, specific jury findings of “aggravating circumstances” were necessary to impose the death penalty. There was therefore no Eighth Amendment violation, and the death penalty was constitutional. (5. Georgia encyclopedia/ 6. Lectlaw) Gregg v. Georgia took place on March, 1976. The case dealt with administrative law; this legal field controls the “due process” clause of the United States Constitution. The due process clause is defined as the government’s obligation to respect and uphold the legal rights of American people during and after they are arrested.
Topic: death-penalty

The court ruled that the death penalty was an appropriate punishment in extreme criminal cases and that Georgia had settled appropriate values and other precautions to guide a jury’s considerations in capital cases. He was sentence to death penalty do to the fact that he entered the house armed so he meant danger to the community and that his purpose was to commit the crime. The United States Supreme Court stated that the execution of Troy Leon Gregg was Constitutional due to the fact that Mr. Gregg was tried, head and sentenced through a formal judicial system. The night before he was supposed to be killed, Gregg escaped from prison and was killed in North Carolina following a fight. (7 law cornell) In this case the court upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty, defending statutes that guide judges and juries in the decision to issue the death sentence.
Topic: death-penalty

The Court did, however, state that the madatory use of the death penalty would be prohibited under the Eighth Amendment as cruel and unusual punishment. The defendent in this case, Gregg, had been convicted on two counts of armed robbery and two counts of murder. The jury was instructed by the trial judge, who was following Georgia state law, to return with either a decision of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Justice Byron stated in his opinion that Gregg had failed in his burden of showing that the Georgia Supreme Court had not done all it could to prevent discriminatory practices in the forming of his sentence. This decision became the first time the Court stated that “punishment of death does not invariably violate the Constitution.” (8. Death penalty)
Topic: death-penalty

There are many crimes happen in the world every second, every hour and every day. The causes, effects and solutions to the problems of violent crimes is complicated and the rate of these crimes is the most prominent issue that people are most concerned. Similarity, the justice of some crimes always get much attention from victims and other citizens. In this essay, death penalty becomes a very controversial issue to discuss, many people support it and many people don’t. Personally, I think death penalty is the most ferocious way of punishing a criminal.
Topic: death-penalty

There are many methods of execution, like electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, firing squad and lethal injection. For me, I just watched once on TV, but it’s enough to bring me nightmares. We only live once and we will lose anything we once had without life. Life is precious and can’t just be taken away that easily. In my opinion, I think Canada shouldn’t adopt the death penalty as its most severe form of criminal punishment.
Topic: death-penalty

In the first place, most of people think death penalty is the ultimate warning for criminals and let criminals know they will be putting to death if they commit crimes. However, does death penalty really works as well as we expected? What is the purpose of death penalty? During our whole lifetime, we grew from a little kid to a young adult, we all made stupid mistakes. In particular, if a kid grows up and murders a person just to get some money from the victim.
Topic: death-penalty

He not only lost his freedom but also have to wait for his death. After reading a lot of news, I understand there are many people commit crimes because of their aggressive disposition or ignorance, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be saved and have a chance to be a good person. If they are no longer alive, how can they learn something precious through their mistakes? Violent can’t solve everything, so we can’t punish crimes by simply killing him or her.
Topic: death-penalty

In the second place, it is true that death penal is a closure for victims. Many people think as long as the criminals are executed from the world, they can get relief and comfort. I believe the comfort just temporarily stay in people’s minds, because killing doesn’t dissuade crimes. We need to clarify it is basically wrong to kill and death penalty equals to killing, and killing will send wrong messages to people and little kids that killing is ” permissible”. In Canada, the number of violent crimes dropped from 93.7 to 81.4 during 2009-2012. (Internet data) Depending on this information, we can sort of connect the rate to the death penalty, because this can support death penalty can’t change everyone’s mind about killing people from an opposite aspect. Another point is the revenge of criminals, if some criminals feel harmed by the mean of punishment, can the revenge of criminals be a potential threat for the security of the society? So if death penalty can’t be used to doing a good job, why should we adopt it as the most severe punishment?
Topic: death-penalty

In the third place, some people think death penalty is not always cruel, like lethal injection is not a severe way to execute criminals. Maybe it seems like the criminals will tolerate less pain than execution of electric chair. in fact, if we consider this process by a criminal’s perspective, then every second, minute will be extremely long and terrible. The lack of freedom and the fear of death are enough to destroy their mental defense. Some severe methods look even worse, most of people may ever watched some movie scenes of old executive methods, like hanging, burning alive. And now we have firing squad and electric chair. I can’t understand why people will come up with those cruel and inhuman methods to punish people. I believe only persuade people by changing laws and educating them can promote the development of the society and bring people security. More thoughts in
Topic: death-penalty

Now, let’s down to the earth. Indeed,death penalty cases are much more expensive than other criminal cases and cost more than imprisonment for life. Pre-trial motions, expert witness investigations, jury selection, and the necessity for two trials — one on guilt and one on sentencing — make capital cases extremely costly, even before the appeals process begins. Moreover, if a defendant is convicted but not given the death sentence, the state will still incur the costs of life imprisonment, in addition to the increased trial expenses. (Internet info) No doubt, this huge amount of money definitely will put a lot of pressure to the government, and citizens have to pay more taxes to support the punishment, so why should government adopt the worthless death penalty as a punishment?
Topic: death-penalty

These reasons are my strongest arguments for death penalty, death penalty can’t teach criminals anything and also it can’t stop the increasing crime rate. In addition, for our citizens, it is a very cruel and inhuman way of punishment. For government, it is also a cumbrous outcome. Now, I think it’s pretty reasonable for me to support Canada shouldn’t adopt death penalty as its most severe form of criminal punishment. Death penalty can destroy everything of anyone, and I hope our human society can expel this punishment out of our world.
Topic: death-penalty

The capital crimes after regaining full independence were murder, rape and treason. Notable cases includes Julio Gullien, executed on for attempting to assassinate President Manuel Roxas, or Marcial “Baby” Ama, electrocuted at the age of 16 on October 4, 1961. “Baby” Ama became a subject of a famous 1976 film Bitayin Si baby Ama.
Topic: death-penalty

Totally, 51 people were electrocuted until 1961. Another famous death penalty case was of former powerful Governor of Negros Occidental Rafael Lacson and 22 of his allies, condemded to die in August 1954 for murder of a political opponent.[6] Ultimately, Lacson was never executed. Executions number climbed under President Ferdinand Marcos. Ironically, Marcos himself was sentenced to death in 1939 for murder of his father’s political opponent, although he was accquited during appeal. A well-publicised triple execution took place in May 1972, when Jaime José, Basilio Pineda, and Edgardo Aquino were electrocuted for the 1967 abduction and gang-rape of the young actress Maggie dela Riva.
Topic: death-penalty

Under the Marcos regime, drug trafficking also became punishable with death by firing squad. A notable execution was that of drug trafficker Lim Seng, whose death in December 1972 was broadcast on national television. Future President and then Chief of the Philippine Constabulary, GeneralFidel V. Ramos, was present at the scene. The electric chair was used until 1976, when execution by firing squad eventually replaced it as the sole method of execution. During the Marcos regime, however, countless more people were summarily
Topic: death-penalty

President Fidel V. Ramos promised during his campaign that he would support the reintroduction of the death penalty in response to increasing crime rates. The new law, drafted by Ramos, restored capital punishment by defining “heinous crimes” as everything from murder to stealing a car. This law provided the use of the electric chair until the gas chamber (chosen by the government to replace electrocution) could be installed. The first execution by lethal injection took place under Ramos’ successor, Joseph Estrada, following on a personal appeal by his spiritual advisor, Bishop Teodoro Bacani. Estrada called a moratorium in 2000 to honour the bimillenial anniversary of Jesus’ birth. Executions were resumed a year later. Estrada’s own successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was a vocal opponent and also approved a moratorium, but later permitted executions and denied pardons. Second abolition
Topic: death-penalty

On 15 April 2006, the sentences of 1,230 death row inmates were commuted to life imprisonment, in what Amnesty International believes to be the “largest ever commutation of death sentences” Capital punishment was again abolished via Republic Act No. 9346, which was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 24 June 2006. The bill followed a vote held in Congress earlier that month which overwhelmingly supported the abolition of the practice . The penalties of life imprisonmentand reclusion perpetua (indeterminate sentence, 30-year minimum) replaced the death penalty. Critics of Arroyo’s initiative called it a political move meant to placate the Roman Catholic Church, some sectors of which were increasingly vocal in their opposition to her rule. Aftermath
Topic: death-penalty

It is because of wrongful executions that capital punishment must not be implemented in society. They only create doubts into the minds of the people that they cannot rely on the justice system especially once they badly need it. This is also hard to accept on the part of the families who already had members who experienced a wrongful execution as this is something that has a permanent impact. Obviously, the innocent people wrongfully executed can never be brought back to life anymore. Since the courts cannot be expected to make the best decisions all the time with regard to the people who deserve conviction and acquittal, it is difficult to guarantee that wrongful executions can be completely stopped in countries that have death penalty.
Topic: death-penalty

This is why capital punishment prevents the wrongfully accused people of the due process that they deserve to have in order to prove their innocence, something that is very unfair to them. There can be instances where the evidence that can prove their innocence is just so difficult to obtain so it takes a long period of time before it gets presented to the Court. However, because there is also a limited period of time to appeal for the death penalty sentence, it is usually the case that the wrongfully accused people are already executed before the evidence that could have set them free is discovered. This would not have happened if there is no capital punishment being implemented.
Topic: death-penalty

Aside from this, another detrimental impact of capital punishment is that it only helps to send a message to the people that the justice system is an advocate of revenge particularly on the part of the people who got victimized by heinous crimes. The capital punishment sends a message to the people that the justice system is just there to help the families of the victims of the heinous crimes and not for the accused people who could also be innocent (Kronenwetter 36). This can also be interpreted as a punishment that does not provide any opportunity for the offenders to correct their mistakes. In this case, the justice system can be viewed as partial and biased as it only helps the victims and not the accused party. The lawyers of the accused party will then have to work extremely hard to gather evidence to spare their client from capital punishment.
Topic: death-penalty

Finally, a society that values life does not intentionally kill people. The truth is that capital punishment is a traumatic case of homicide that has been approved by the government. This practically supports killing in order to impose a solution to the problems that are being faced by society (Mandery 58). This is something that is not very good particularly on the part of the youth who will grow up knowing that the government is approved of just killing people who violated the law. The funny thing is that governments all over the world have tried to validate capital punishment by stating what they think are the advantages of death penalty would provide to the people. The advantages of death penalty can be considered as illusory, but the chaos and the eventual annihilation of the decency of the society are very true. Thus, there is no sense to implement capital punishment.
Topic: death-penalty

“The right to life and dignity are the most important of all human rights and this must be demonstrated by the state in everything that it does, including the way it punishes criminals.” – Justice Arthur Chaskalson. The death penalty is considered, “the legal” punishment for a criminal. Although the death penalty has been used for many years, the thought of it continues to bring shivers down the back of most of society. Even though there has been an abundant of debates whether it should be abolished or not, citizens do not really know the facts behind it.
Topic: death-penalty

Most of the society assumes that the death penalty is less expensive than life in jail without parole. United States citizens believe that this punishment will eliminate any revenge thoughts and therefore increase public safety. Being a factor of death, it should not be taken as lightly as it has been. Although sentencing the death penalty may seem the proportional punishment to a brutal crime, it is not a good alternative, because the cost of execution hurts our economy, it lacks closure for victims, and it violates the U.
Topic: death-penalty

S. Constitution. Most of society assumes that the death penalty is less expensive than to keep a criminal in jail for life. Little did they know that it actually costs the U.S. less for a criminal to live in prison than to be executed. According to Dellapiana author of “Should We Put the Death Penalty on the Chopping Block?” not only is there cost for pre-trials, trials and courts but there is “additional costs amounting to .
Topic: death-penalty

It is high priced because “the consequences or error and procedural unfairness are magnified when life is in the balance; thus, courts have imposed astringent due process protections.” (Dellapiana 1) Being in really tough economic times, wasting all that money on the death penalty seems inappropriate. All that money wasted on murdering someone, could might as well be used somewhere else in a productive manner. Dieter believes and states “the death penalty in the U.S. is an enormously expensive and wasteful program with no clear benefits. All of the studies on the cost of capital punishment conclude it is much more expensive than asystem with life sentences as the maximum penalty.” (Dieter 2). The money accumulated to be used in the death penalty is desperately needed in other important programs. For example, “In Florida, the courts have lost 10% of their funding, with another cut expected, as home foreclosures accelerated. Philadelphia is leaving 200 police positions unfilled. In New Hampshire, civil and criminal jury trials were halted for a month to save money; in one county, 77 criminal trials were delayed for up to six months.” (Dieter 12).
Topic: death-penalty

Clearly showing the United States is greatly affected by the death penalty. By the absence of the money needed for jobs, it has been forced to cut jobs strongly needed to protect society. As it can be seen, all the money spent on the death penalty is crucially affecting the economy. The process of following through the death penalty is lengthy; an entire appeal process can take more than 15 years before executions take place and in some cases it never goes through. “Sentences or convictions can be reversed, defendants may die of natural causes or suicide, governors occasionally grant clemency, and entire statutes can be overturned by the courts.” (Dieter 28). Meaning, most of the sentences don’t result in an execution, which only consumed an exaggerated amount of money when the process is over. Not only is the appeal high priced, pre-trials and trials only add much more money to the high amount already accumulated. Instead of finding a more appropriate approach, society spends millions of dollars into a system that doesn’t produce results. Although many citizens do believe the death penalty is effective, they also believe the price is worth it. “This is because life is invaluable; there is no amount of money or prison that could equal it” (Roberts –Cady 3).
Topic: death-penalty

Taking away their freedom is a way of restraining their moral behavior in society. “Because the wrongdoers had unfairly gained an extra measure of freedom from moral restraint, the natural way to restore a fair balance is to reduce the protection he ordinarily would have gained through moral restraints on the conduct of others. By treating the wrongdoer in what is ordinarily a forbidden way, we strip away part of the protection that moral restraints on behavior would ordinarily have afforded him. Thus, we remove precisely the sort of advantages he has gained.” (Roberts- Cady 3). A punishment is supposed to make the criminal reflect on their wrongdoing and get them on the right path. But why give the criminal the easy way out. Although many citizens believe in the saying “an eye for an eye…” the death penalty does not necessarily bring closure to the victims’ family. “Because of the extensive constitutional due process requirements in death penalty litigation, trials are lengthy, and appeals can go on for decades, for families of victims, there is no closure.”(Dellapiana 5). Life sentencing with no parole is a much faster process and ensures closure to the victims’ family.
Topic: death-penalty

For most of the victims’ families, the death penalty is a “punishment that is justified because it is a reward [or an easy way out] for wrongdoing” (Roberts – Cady 2). Not only does it lack closure to the victims’ families but it isn’t morally acceptable. This is because “if life has unconditional, incomparable worth, then we cannot and should not compare the worth of one person’s life with that of another” (Roberts-Cady 4).Taking the life of the murderer will not be the same as taking the life of the victim. For example, taking the murder’s life by injection can’t be brutally equivalent to taking the life of the victim. Some citizens believe the death penalty as punishment does provide closure. Many families consider this as closure because the murder has been killed. But as Roberts –Cady states “Taking the murders life cannot be said to be even roughly equivalent to taking the life of the victim.” (Roberts- Cady 4) If it is not equivalent why not let them suffer in prison. Although life is the biggest blessing one could ever have, many criminals prefer death rather than to get life sentenced. So why give them what they prefer? And, who are the judges to decide who deserves to live and who deserves to die? Although many citizens believe the death penalty is a logical punishment, it violates the United States Constitution. The death penalty goes against the Eight Amendment in which it states it “prohibits the use of cruel and unusual or excessive punishment.”
Topic: death-penalty

Thus, this amendment protects the criminal from receiving a punishment that can be considered comparable to the pain caused to the victim. The death penalty easily violates this amendment because it is cruel and unusual punishment since the result is death. Not only does it violate the United States Constitution it also violates the Declaration of Independence which says “All men are created equal”. It also violates this because of the discrimination by the judges and courts. An example is in case DeLuna v. The State of Texas (1986). In this prejudiced case, Carlos DeLuna was an American Hispanic who was put to death even though he was innocent. DeLuna was convicted of murdering a convenience store clerk, Lopez. Although all assumptions pointed towards DeLuna, he was innocent. DeLuna repeatedly stated his innocence and stated the real killer was Carlos Hernandez. The judge discriminated him for being Hispanic, neglected to listen to his statements, nonetheless he claimed “calling Hernandez a “phantom” and “figment of DeLuna’s imagination.” After being wrongfully executed, a professor and five of his students opened the case causing questions to rise and evidence to be found. The re-opening of this case showed tampering evidence. Hernandez already had a criminal record for being a repeatedly violent offender and known for slashing women. As the case was ongoing, police tampered the evidence.
Topic: death-penalty

For example, as the investigation was occurring “the police said they couldn’t find a “Carlos Hernandez” [with a criminal record] despite his long rap sheet.” There was also a bloody foot print outside the store which was never processed. The judge was influenced by his ethnicity and appearance. He looked like the criminal, therefore for the judge, he was the criminal. Nor the judge or the court gave DeLuna the opportunity to prove himself innocent. Many people don’t categorize the death penalty as cruel and usual punishment; therefore, it does not violate the Eight Amendment. According to the dictionary, cruelty means causing somebody to feel pain or suffer. The Eight Amendment does not specify if emotion is part of this law. Death penalty should not be used to punish our society. It has been clearly explained how the death penalty is ineffective. A serious impact will continue to be seen throughout the United States economy if the death penalty is not abolished. It would take years for victims’ families to find the peace needed for closure. Death penalty does not only violate the U.S., but it violates The Declaration of Independence as well. As stated, it is proven the death penalty is not a good punishment but an easy way out therefore “Our country will never gain peace if we are killing our own citizens.”
Topic: death-penalty

Is one crime rightfully punishable by death? Can one jury decide one man’s fate? The answer is yes, at least for now. Since the beginning of our humanity we’ve always had some sort of cruel punishment against our own, today it is known as the death penalty. This used to be prohibited in our government, however in 1976 congress had the death penalty reinstated and since then the Supreme Court has sentenced over 1,300 people to face the wrath of the death sentence.
Topic: death-penalty

In all honesty two wrongs do not make a right, and supporting this statement professor Schroth of St. Peter’s college states that “to kill the person who has killed someone close to you is simply to continue the cycle of violence which ultimately destroys the avenger as well as the offender,” (ProCon Death Penalty) which essentially is stating justice will not be served if we choose to kill the killer. Surely some would feel at ease knowing the criminal has paid his/her due, but even then it’s not our duty to play the role of God and choose who lives and who dies. Slaughtering the unlawful makes us no different from them, by killing them we stoop to their heartless level and do exactly what they did, the only difference is they’re the criminals and we’re the innocent. As it’s been
Topic: death-penalty

Many people would argue that life in prison is a huge drain on the tax-payers dollars but in reality life in prison would be a lower price than the death penalty and according to a director of the death penalty information system, Richard Dieter “The death penalty is double the amount of trials, attorneys, and more days spent on death row, and in all seriousness its double the money” (ProCon Death Penalty). Yet we remain to waste our resources on this costly consequence, which in the long run gives us no positive satisfaction. Even if the death penalty was cheaper than it is currently, why would we still choose to perform such a painful and inhuman way to end someone’s life? Certainly a gas chamber wouldn’t be enjoyable, or even a hanging which could take minutes to kill; we use such cold-hearted methods to execute these capital punishments. Thankfully the state of Arizona has stopped using these extreme and intense ways to execute. Since November of 1992 Arizona has only carried out the lethal injection as a way to perform their capital punishment, if only more states were kind enough to do the same, but even then there’s nothing kind about capital punishment. Claim #3:
Topic: death-penalty

The purpose of the death penalty is to rid the world of evil doers, but in reality it just seems like the easy way, life in prison would be so much more agonizing for the criminal. Nonetheless we are now broadcasting these executions, giving the criminal exposure that he/she isn’t worthy of receiving. Mary Meehan a journalist from the National Catholic Review declared that “Executions have a corrupting effect on the public,” (National Catholic Review) which is true because nowadays we can literally see the offenders last living moments and who’s to say some innocent adolescent child isn’t watching this, and being tainted as well, which will just continue the cycle of this death penalty. The authority believe that this performance of death will act as a model for all other offenders out there, but in all truth it does nothing, crime rates are higher now than they have ever been and they continue to grow. With that being said putting an end to the death penalty has never been more required. We essentially should
Topic: death-penalty

Over two centuries ago our government created the first legal way to kill a person, by disobeying the law one would receive capital punishment, and thus the death penalty was born. Since creation, Capital punishment has vastly evolved with each decade bringing a new and fast way to kill. The first person ever condemned to the death penalty was executed by a public hanging in June of 1790, in the United States; it was done publicly so that citizens could see what happens to those who defy the law. In the beginning only hangings were used as a way to end the life of the criminal. It wasn’t until the 1880’s when inventor Thomas Edison began experimenting with the power of electrocution, which then leads to the first execution by electricity in 1890. And with the beginning of the 19th century a new form of killing was introduced, a chamber filled with toxic gas that renders its victims dead. Throughout the lineage of the death penalty rules have changed and some rules left untouched, but all in all the purpose of capital punishment has always been clear. It maintains control over the criminals, as well as showing them the legal consequence for their actions, while also delivering the legal punishment of their wrong doing. Claim #1:
Topic: death-penalty

Capital punishment was never intended to be sympathetic; the slaying of the criminal is done to show them the error of their ways, with this ultimate fatality. In the United States the main use for the death penalty is in cases involving first degree murder. How could someone be so immoral and take another living person’s life? Others believe the death penalty is brutal, sadistic and unfair, Bruce Fein, a Constitutional Lawyer and General Counsel to the Center for Law and Accountability states “The death penalty honors human dignity by treating the defendant as a free moral actor able to control his own destiny for good or for ill; it does not treat him as an animal with no moral sense” (ProCon Death Penalty). This essentially states that the criminal made their choice to defy the law in the first place, and now they’re on a path they’ve set for themselves, which will lead to their own demise. Refutation #1:
Topic: death-penalty

Capital punishment teaches the receiver nothing; it is just a dark and twisted way to end a criminal’s life. Surely the death sentence maybe the rightful punishment for their action, but even so taking the life of another human is corrupted. Preforming the death penalty on a criminal proves were just as evil as them, using this inhuman way to deliver their punishment. To support this reasoning is William Brennan a member of the Supreme Court “Death is… an unusually severe punishment, unusual in its pain, in its finality, and in its enormity… The fatal constitutional infirmity in the punishment of death is that it treats ‘members of the human race as nonhumans” (ProCon Death Penalty). No human being should have to experience such a monstrous way to perish, evil or not there’s always a more benevolent way. Claim #2:
Topic: death-penalty

Fear is a response we have when we feel threatened, fear is good though; fear is something we can use to strike in the felonious. The death penalty proves as a deterrent to criminals who rebel against the law. Offering life in prison to criminal would show the criminal a sympathetic gesture they aren’t worth of receiving. By implementing the death sentence on to unlawful people we can demonstration to other criminals out there that this is what happens to those who challenge the law, hoping it initiate’s fear in their hearts and persuade them not to complete their erroneous actions. Death is feared, because death is something final, death is the end. Asserting this statement is Ernest Van Den Haag a Professor of Jurisprudence at Fordham University. “People fear nothing more than death. Therefore, nothing will deter a criminal more than the fear of death… life in prison is less feared. Murderers clearly prefer it to execution — otherwise, they would not try to be sentenced to life in prison instead of death… Therefore, a life sentence must be less deterrent than a death sentence. And we must execute murderers as long as it is merely possible that their execution protects citizens from future murder” (Death Penalty Deterrence). They’ve made their choice to disobey the law; therefore they should accept the execution they’ve earned, they’ve made their choice to kill, why should they get a second choice to live? Refutation #2:
Topic: death-penalty

future criminals so that they will not contribute in the act of violence. But it does no such thing, crime grows higher every day, criminals do not fear death, because they continue to perform illegal actions. The death penalty serves no purpose if crime is still increasing; corresponding to this quarrel is Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States. “One argument for the death penalty is that it is a strong deterrent to murder and other violent crimes. In fact, evidence shows just the opposite. The homicide rate is at least five times greater in the United States than in any Western European country, all without the death penalty” (Death Penalty Deter Crime). This statement identifies that other nations that don’t have capital punishment have far less crime then we do, it’s time to change our evil ways of capital punishment, and put a stop to the death sentence. Claim #3: