...Abolishing the Death Penalty George L Turner III PHI 103 Mr. Russ Tompkins August 31, 2009 Abolishing the Death Penalty The Death Penalty in America today is a highly debated issue and has been for many years. Could you imagine not having a life threatening consequence at all, such as the death penalty when it comes to criminals that commit very severe crimes? There are many people in the United States today with many different opinions on why the Death Penalty should or shouldn’t be abolished in our Country. I’m one who feels that we should not abolish the Death Penalty; however our Capital Punishment system can be much improved. One advantage to keeping the Death Penalty is that it’s suppose to act as a deterrent against those people who might think about committing a serious crime. I believe that it does help as a deterrent for some people, but not to the extent that it should. If we started sentencing more murderers and serious offenders to death, then I believe that more people will fear the consequences in which they may face. Now, if we start convicting the serious criminals to death, then that doesn’t mean continue to let them appeal their sentence and take years before they’re actually put to death. One other thing that I believe that keeps the Death Penalty from being as effective as it should be is T.V. I know it’s only T.V. but that’s what people see and a lot of people believe that is the way it is. Whether or not T.V. is how...
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...punishment should not be. The criminals that die have done the crime to deserve the jail time, but life sentences are the right thing. The 8th amendment does not support the death penalty. There is also the problem of innocent inmates that die, and then there is the money issue. There are a lot more reasons to keep the people off of death row and end the death penalty. One reason we should quit the death penalty is that 1 out of 25 inmates put to death are innocent and have been put up for the death penalty because of the lack of effort from their legal team. Either that or the state will deny their motion. They go to the death penalty to quick and do not even give it thought. In the case of a Death Row inmate Willie Poindexter...
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...Death penalty in America Death penalty debate has been a daily talk for quite some time now. This has been a very controversial that has engaged many organizations and countries in the debate. Some oppose this form of punishment based on moral and judicial grounds. These grounds include wrongful conviction base on DNA tests. Other grounds include wrongful conviction based on race. Those supporting death penalty argue that death penalty creates a feeling of safety since it instills fear in potential criminals. They also hold that those convicted despite their race actually did the crime they are convicted for. Some countries like Canada and New Zealand do not believe in the administration of death penalty as a means of punishment. Therefore, until today there is no agreed provision used by the judiciary to reach at a decision of such cases. United States, China and Japan among other countries believe that death penalty is a favorable sentence. United States has authorized death penalty in most federal governments, including the military. Some of the methods used in death penalty include the electric chair. Most of these procedures used in death penalty have been considered to be violating constitutional rights. Though fewer legislatures have been made to change these procedures, death penalty should be abolished. This is the position that is appropriate and offer should be supported. It is a racist tool of criminal punishment. Evidences explaining the reasons against this...
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...DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING SHOULD BE ABOLISHED General Purpose : To inform Specific Purpose : To inform my audience about why death penalty should be abolished Organisational Pattern : Topical Order Central Idea : Drug trafficking is indeed detrimental but it should be abolished because there’s a better alternative to it INTRODUCTION I. A lady folded her new clothes and placed them neatly at the head of her bed. Then, she made a green bean soup while placing her Mcdonald’s burger on the stool. She didn’t eat that night. Instead, she spent the night talking to her friends and singing religious songs. That was how Donggui, a lady from China spent her night before undergoing a death penalty the next day II. Drug trafficking is indeed a heinous crime to commit but it would be unfair to subject the traffickers to a death penalty because there’s a better alternative to it III. I have made a thorough research on drug trafficking and the impact of the imposition of death penalties IV. For this topic, I will elaborate on what drug trafficking is, why death penalty should be abolished and what’s a better alternative to death penalty (Transition : Let me begin with enlightening you with what drug trafficking is) BODY I. What is drug trafficking? A. According to section 2 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, drug trafficking is the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of any dangerous drug without any authority 1. The laws relating...
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...Benchmark Assignment The Death Penalty Picot pg. 1 Keith e picot 3/28/2012 Criminal Procedure Benchmark assignment Mr. Jessie Torres The Death Penalty in America An unreasonable and Inhumane Deterrent The Death penalty has been a staple in U.S. justice system since its inception in 1608, when Captain George Kendall, in the Jamestown Colony of Virginia was ‘executed by firing squad for treason’. Even though controversial this punishment has no place in America. Death Penalty is unreasonable and inhumane deterrent for crime and should be abolished. First of all. data shows a racial bias towards black crimes against white victims. In addition, it is less expensive to house inmates than to execute them. Finally many countries have abolished the Death Penalty deeming it merciless I am a person that does not believe in the death penalty. The main thing we Question is, what purpose it serves for us to put another person on death row. By killing another human being it wont bring back that victim they murder. People against this method realize capital punishment does not stop criminals from killing or stop them from their mischief act. Many states that are against this method argue that the death penalty is both cruel and unnecessary that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who done great evil. Prosecutor need to take time out to make sure that...
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...The United States of America is often perceived as the most progressive and advanced society in the world. Unfortunately, when it comes to the existent of capital punishment, America is far behind. The death penalty’s use in America was influenced by Great Britain. When European settlers came to America, they brought with them the practice of capital punishment. In 1846 Michigan became the first state to abolish the death penalty, but opposition to the death penalty waned during the Civil War. During the early 20th century death penalty abolishment was scattered. Due to Prohibition and the Great Depression, the death penalty saw a resurgence. In 1972 the death penalty was suspended in the United States due to Furman v. Georgia, where it was ruled that the death penalty statutes were ruled as unconstitutional. After death penalty reforms were ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court, the death penalty was reinstated (History of the Death Penalty). To this day the use of capital punishment still exists in the United States. The practice of the death penalty has come under fire in recent years. The financial burden of the death penalty, the failure to act as a deterrent, and racial discrimination are major reasons for the death penalty to be eradicated. All other industrialized nations have abolished the death penalty, it is time for the United States to catch up to the rest of the world by abolishing capital punishment in its entirety. When the country is in debt, and states...
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...Capital punishment, also called death penalty, is the execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense. The practice of executing people for certain crimes is very old; in fact, the term itself dates to a Latin root, capitalis, which means “of the head,” a reference to a common execution method used in Roman times. Currently 58 nations actively practice it, 97 countries have abolished it, and the remainders have not used it for 10 years or allow it only in exceptional circumstances such as wartime. However, It is a matter of active controversy in various countries as it violates human rights. What Is Capital Punishment Capital punishment is a practice in which prisoners are executed in accordance with judicial practice when they are convicted of committing what is known as a capital crime or capital offense. In other words, capital punishment or the death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. The judicial decree that someone be punished in this manner is a death sentence, while the actual process of killing the person is an execution. History Of Capital Punishment Early Laws The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B.C.'s Hittite Code; in the Seventh...
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...is the death penalty? ‘Punishments are imposed on a person, not on racial or economic groups. Guilt is personal. The only relevant question is: does the person to be executed deserve the punishment?’ (Ernest van den Haag, 1986) According to Amnesty International, 139 countries have abolished the death penalty. In 2010, only one country, Gabon, abolished the death penalty for all crimes. During 2010, 23 countries executed 527 prisoners and at least 2,024 people were sentenced to death in 67 countries. More than 17,833 people are currently under sentence of death around the world (‘The Death Penalty Worldwide’) According to the United Nations, the highest per capita use of the death penalty is in Singapore, with a rate of 13.57 executions per one million population for the period 1994-99 (‘Executions Under Fire’) The death penalty is the most extreme form of punishment a government can use on its citizens Pros for death penalty ‘Simply put there is a class of people whose crimes are so heinous…that the death penalty should apply’ (Paul Rosenzweig, 2003) It is believed that governments can protect people by retaining the death penalty for murder and serious crime Opponents believe that governments should not take a life under any circumstance International human rights law forbids the execution of people who are under 18 years of age at the time of their crime (‘Death Penalty For Minors’) Cons for death penalty Unlike other punishments, the death penalty...
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...The Death Penalty: Cruel and Unjust As Ronald Ryan fell to the ground on February 3, 1967, a flock of pigeons flew away in a scare (York). Everyone nearby knew this man’s life had been taken from him and never to be used again. This moment was the last of Australia’s executions. 50 years later, however, the United States of America still commits Capital Punishment, and regularly, too. The topic is debated whether or not the Capital Punishment should be legal. The government is already involved in the lives of those who commit crimes, but the idea of it taking away someone’s life creates an uneasy thought. Some people believe that execution is wrong, inhumane and should be abolished while others believe that it projects positive impacts and will benefit the world, in such ways as lowering crime rates and ridding the world of the worst criminals....
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...the first known case of the death penalty in the American colonies happened in the James town colony in 1608 when George Kendall was executed for spying for the Spanish (Green, Melissa S.,compiler. (1998-2009). Focus on the Death Penalty). Capital Punishment is a subject in the United States that was and still is very controversial. Many people want capital punishment to be abolished but on the other hand there are a handful of people who want capital punishment to end. The purpose of this study is to show why capital punishment should be abolished. Capital punishment needs to be abolished because there are way too many cases and executions. During the time span of the Revolutionary war, capital punishment was widely accepted. During this time 162 documented cases of capital punishment were recorded. In the nineteenth century, following that era, capital punishment had increased to 1,391 documented cases. As of April 1, 2008, there were a total of 1,099 people who received the death penalty. The State of Texas had the most cases of capital punishment with a number of 405 cases (Bureau of Justice Statistics 1-2). That is way too many cases just for one state. The States of New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Kansas recorded zero cases of capital punishment. In today’s society, 38 out of the 50 states in the United States accept the capital punishment idea. In the year 2010, over 3000 people convicted of crimes were sentenced to the death penalty (Bureau of Justice Statistics...
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...capital punishment in America stems from Britain influence and began early on in the settlement of the European colonies. The earliest recorded execution dates back to 1608 (Death Penalty Information Center, 2011) . However, the use of capital punishment in the United States centuries later has been very controversial. Thirty-four states still use the death penalty as a punishment while 16 states have abolished its use (Death Penalty Information Center, 2011) . The constitutionality of capital punishment is in question and is constantly interpreted. The death penalty requires arbitrary decisions to be made by jurors. The studies on race in death penalty cases, the exonerations of those individuals on death row, and the cost of the death penalty are reasons to abolish capital punishment in the United States. Recent studies on the death penalty show surprising facts about the race of defendant and victim. In North Carolina it was found that the odds of receiving the death penalty rose by 3.5 for defendants whose victims were white. A California study found that defendants who murdered Whites were three times more likely to receive the death penalty than those who murdered Blacks and four times more likely than those who murdered Latinos. Race-of-victim and race-of-defendant discrimination has been found in 96 percent of the states in which death penalty and race studies have taken place (Death Penalty Information Center, 2011) . The exonerations of those on death row are somewhat shocking...
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...that capital punishment should be abolished without question? Should a man or woman not receive the same punishment as they committed? Is it better to kill a person or allow them to sit in prison for there whole life? What do you think is right, what do you think America needs to do about capital punishment? Capital punishment dates back to the eighteenth century B.C. in the code of King Hammurabi of Babylon. At this time only twenty five crimes were punishable by death. These crimes were carried out by crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive and impalement. As you can tell capital punishment has been around for a long, long time and probably not going anywhere (DPIC). Do you know when the first form of capital punishment was performed on North American soil? The first execution in the colonies was that of Captain George Kendall. The execution took place in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. Captain Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain. From there on out, capital punishment continued throughout the colonies. The crimes punishable by death varied for colony to colony (DPIC). Today, there are around fifty countries that still use the death penalty. One of these countries is the United States of America. The United States has condemned over a ten thousand people to the death penalty since its beginning. Should the United States continue with the death penalty or should it be abolished. Do you believe the death penalty goes against everything...
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...Death Penalty Capital Punishment also known as the Death Penalty has always been surrounded by controversy. As a result of killing someone said criminal will also be killed in return, some would say an eye for an eye. In the end it boils down to more than a question of morality and ethics. Capital Punishment is not necessary and should be abolished because the government shouldn’t decide who should live and who should die, its more expensive than life in jail, and its not an effective deterrent. Furthermore, Capital punishment is legal in the United States, in fact, legal in 33 states including Florida. Additionally, the death penalty is accepted internationally in 58 countries and use it regularly. China is the number one in the world for the number of executions done per year. The exact number is not none due to it being a ‘state secret’ but is said to be in the thousands. Not far behind is the United States which ranks number 5 on the list with 43 executions in 2011. The death penalty is universally reserved for heinous crimes that are considered completely devoid of morals and socially accepted standards. Crimes like murder after substantial planning in Florida and premeditation and treason in Arkansa. As well as rape of a minor, murder of a minor, murder of a senior knowingly, to avoid arrest and so on. (http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org) However, due to an evolving dilemma and expansion of human rights and the enforcement of the right to live, many countries have abolished...
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...446 executions (Death Penalty Information Center). 1,446 people have been put to death for committing crimes such as murder and treason. The death penalty is definitely not a new prospect; far from it, first known to be practiced in the 14th century B.C.E. (Death Penalty Information Center). In fact, some describe capital punishment as a barbaric, outdated, or unsophisticated form of justice. America is, after all, one of the only developed countries that still enforces the death penalty. Others argue that it is necessary in keeping law and order and helps to deter crime. The death penalty has an interesting history, and still today there is an argument about whether or not it should continue to be enforced, possibly because of the historically discriminatory nature of the death penalty. In early colonial America, the death penalty was fairly strictly enforced....
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...Kathleen Predmore Abstract Capital Punishment should it be abolished or continue? Over 15,269 Americans have been executed since the beginning of the death penalty in the United Sates, which dates back to colonial times. Some people see it as a barbaric means of punishment while others see it as an important tool for fighting pre-meditated murder and other horrific crimes. The death penalty has bee in existence since the Eighteenth Century B.C. At first, it was carried out by horrific means, boiling, beheading, and burning at the steak just to name a few. Later as man became more civilized, more humane methods were invented and used. It was not until the Nineteenth Century that the death penalty finally found opposition. Since then the civilized world has been at odds on whether to abolish the death penalty. In conclusion, the reasons for abolishing it as well as reasons against abolishing the death penalty are argued; however, the victims of the crimes and their families cannot be ignored. . Over 15,269 Americans have been executed since the beginning of the death penalty in the United Sates, which dates back to colonial times. America remains a minority of nations in the world that still uses the death penalty for punishment of certain crimes. Many see this as a barbaric and against human values. Others see it as a very important means to fighting violent crime and pre-meditated murder. The death penalty’s history started as far back as the Eighteenth...
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