...The Death Penalty Is It a Deterrent to Cop Killing And Crime in General Eastern Michigan University School of Police Staff and Command Executive Lieutenant Ronald Livingston Huntington Woods DPS Huntington Woods, MI An applied research project submitted to the Department of Interdisciplinary Technology as part of the School of Police Staff and Command Program. 2 Abstract This paper examines whether or not the Death Penalty is a deterrent to crime in general and more specific, it examines if the Death Penalty is a deterrent to the murder of Police Officers in the line of duty. It explores the history of the death penalty as our country moves through different periods in its history. Comparisons were made of regions throughout the country as to how the death penalty impacts crime in general and whether the fact that having the death penalty makes Police Officers safer with potential Cop killers knowing that the death penalty awaits them should they kill an Officer. This paper was compiled mainly by researching online periodicals, newspapers and books. This is a topic that evokes strong feelings, pro and con. These feelings and responses to certain crimes provide a virtual emotional roller coaster ride depending on circumstances. The killings of two Detroit Police Officers earlier this year proved to be no different. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ………..……………………………………………………………………..2 Table of Contents………………………………………………………………….....3 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...
Words: 8281 - Pages: 34
...Is the Death Penalty a Fair and Effective Deterrent in the United States? Abstract The death penalty is the most severe punishment that may be imposed on an individual by the United States government. It denies a person one of their most basic human rights, which is the right to live. One of the purposes of the death penalty is to serve as a deterrent for other would-be criminals. There have been studies conducted to determine if the death penalty is effective in this regard. There is another point of disparity surrounding the death penalty related to the equality of its application. Are all citizens treated equal? This paper takes a closer look at the equality in the application of the death penalty and its effectiveness as a deterrent. Is the Death Penalty a Fair and Effective Deterrent in the United States? The death penalty came to the United States with the first European settlers and continued until the 1960’s. “The 1960s brought challenges to the fundamental legality of the death penalty. Before then, the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments were interpreted as permitting the death penalty. However, in the early 1960s, it was suggested that the death penalty was a "cruel and unusual" punishment, and therefore unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment.” (Bohm, 1999) Since the 1960’s courts have been battling the issue of the death penalty. Currently there are 38 states that have provisions for the death penalty. What is the purpose of the death...
Words: 1575 - Pages: 7
...Abstract This paper examines whether or not the death penalty is a deterrent to crime in general and more specific, it examines if the death Penalty is a deterrent to those who commit murder. Comparisons were made of states that have the death penalty and how it impacts crime in general whether the fact of having the death penalty makes citizens safer with potential killers knowing that the death penalty awaits them should they kill someone. It also examines if someone commits murder if giving the chance would they repeat the offense. In our democratic country, we believe that you have rights, that everyone has rights, that every person is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These basic human rights are safeguarded in the Constitution. In our country, we are expected to acknowledge the rights of others. Therefore, if someone disrespects or abuses the legal rights of others, it is not only wrong but illegal as well. People who steal your money or burn down your house or kidnap you go to jail when they are caught. That’s what happens to criminals who take away your liberty or your pursuit of happiness. But what should we do when a criminal deprives you of the most precious right – the right to live? Should the murderer simply go to jail, just the same as any other criminal? Should the killer of a love one, a father or sister or brother or mother simply be allowed to spend a few years in jail before...
Words: 1123 - Pages: 5
...Running Head: The Death Penalty The Death Penalty Berenice Paz Kaplan College The Death Penalty, also known as Capital Punishment, has been a controversial issue for many years. Some people believe that it is wrong and should be abolished, while others believe that capital punishment should continue to be enforced. Arguments for this are issues of deterrence, the question of whether it’s excessive cruelty, questions of equability, and the public attitudes. In this paper I will explain viewpoints of proponents and opponents of the death penalty. Capital punishment in the United States has been around for many, many years. It was commonly used in the history of the criminal justice system. The methods of executions in history were cruel and unusual. Some of the methods included boiling the guilty in oil, burning to death, hanging them, strangling, stoning, and impaling. 1968 was the first year where the death penalty was not exercised in the United States. In 1976, Georgia, Florida, and Texas were the first three states to uphold the death penalty statues. Later, capital punishment was reinstated to other states as well. Since then there have been debates with this topic. Abolitionists believe that it is morally wrong. They may also believe that it has no benefits to our society. On the other hand, proponents feel that it is a deterrent and can save many innocent lives by getting rid of the murderers that can possibly take other lives. During the 1970s, Issac...
Words: 1358 - Pages: 6
...Death Penalty A very controversial issue that arises within the United States is the topic of the death penalty. The discussion that arises is either about if the death penalty should be allowed at all or in this case if the death penalty is an effective deterrent against the crime of murder. As of May 2012 in the United States thirty three out of the fifty states do have the death penalty, and seventeen currently do not. By regions within the United States the south has the highest executions. With Texas being to highest state to actually execute criminals. People who support the death penalty say that it gives closure to the victim's families, serves justice, and deters the crime of murder. Throughout the past society has always used punishment to deter criminals from committing future crimes. Since it is in the societies best interest to prevent murder it uses the strongest sentence available to deter this crime, the death penalty. When murderers are sentenced to death row and executed, this makes potential murderers think twice before killing someone else because the consequence of receiving the death penalty for this crime is already known. People who do not support the death penalty say that the financial costs to taxpayers of capital punishment is several times that of keeping someone in prison for life, and that it violates the "cruel and unusual" clause in the Bill of Rights. Death Penalty cases also require more money because of the automatic bifurcated trial and...
Words: 615 - Pages: 3
...For decades people have debated the death penalty. These discussions have taken place at the water cooler in the workplace as well as at family dinners. Some people see it as a barbaric form of torture, and others see it as a necessity of modern life. Most people do not understand the complex issues that heads of states need to evaluate regarding the death penalty. In conference rooms they discuss issues such as costs, wrongful convictions and what they could do with the additional revenues. Even though some people see the death penalty as a crime deterrent, in this economy individual states have to rethink the financial costs involved. Many people do not realize the additional costs associated with a death penalty case. People who are in support of the death penalty believe that it is cheaper to execute a criminal than to leave them in a jail cell paid for with the money individual's pay to the government in taxes. California is second to Texas in regard to juries and county prosecutors condemning people with a death sentence. (Tempest, 2005) What they do not realize is that at times it can take more than two decades for a death sentence to come to the conclusion of an execution. The trial alone in a death penalty case can cost millions more to prosecute. A study in Maryland estimates that the average cost to taxpayers for reaching a single death sentence is $3 million - $1.9 million more than the cost of a non-death penalty case. (Roman, J., Chalfin, A., Sundquist...
Words: 1670 - Pages: 7
...Death Penalty and Politics Research Paper Danica Misic The Death Penalty and Politics Introduction The death penalty seems like a dreadful phrase at first glance, especially for those who are facing it. People convicted and sentenced to the death penalty usually have a long wait ahead of them. Some of these people facing the death penalty are looking forward to their execution, and some are dreading it. What exactly is the death penalty? To some it may be freedom once carried out, and to others it is retribution, a political tool, a means for producing money, or a deterrent for future crimes. It is important that the United States come to some conclusion so we can end the death penalty debate; we want the truth, not assumptions that can be argued to no end. This paper will discuss the ins and outs of the death penalty, why it has created much debate, why it is not a deterrent of murder, and that it is mostly used as a political tool. There have been many studies done to both effects; the death penalty deters crime, or it does not deter crime because the previous studies were flawed. First presented is a brief history to better understand where the death penalty comes from. The next section will discuss the modern approaches to the death penalty including landmark cases that changed the way the death penalty is executed in the United States. Following this section is an explanation of deterrence and its effects, and other controversies that exist. Finally...
Words: 5088 - Pages: 21
...this paper is going to be about, my paper is going to be about my position on the death penalty and how I agree with Blackmun’s ideas on why the death penalty is unconstitutional. Also I am going to add sources to help with my persuasive argument. An argument can be made that the death penalty is not important and it does not affect most people, but most people pay taxes and our prison system comes and goes by how much money is poured into it, and the fact of the matter is that putting someone to death is an expensive process which can be argued that the tax payers are affected by it. So by saying that I think the death penalty is a very crucial topic that almost everyone has an opinion on. I’m going to start my persuasive argument with a quote by Associate Justice Harry Blackmun, after the Callins v. Collins case, Blackmun said “We hope, of course that the defendant whose life is at risk will be represented by competent counsel someone who is inspired by the awareness that a less than vigorous defense will have truly fatal confidence”. (Abelson 292) This is a crucial point in the argument against the death penalty, in way to many cases injustice occurs and defendant’s rights are not fully exercised. In death penalty cases most times the defendant is already presumed guilty by the jurors. In the first twenty years that Justice Blackmun occupied the bench he voted in favor of the death penalty numerous times, but in his last years on the bench he changed his mind...
Words: 1344 - Pages: 6
...are many reasons why the death penalty should not be implemented. It is Inhumane, Ineffective against crime, proven not to be a deterrent, and it is Irreversible. These things will be explained by my group mates in their speeches. I however will be talking about the people that get convicted and sent to death row for crimes that they did not do. The danger that innocent people will be executed because of errors in the criminal justice system is getting worse. In the US a total of 69 people have been released from death row since 1973 after evidence of their innocence emerged. 21 condemned inmates have been released since 1993. There is no way to exactly tell how many people that were executed may have been innocent, because courts do not generally entertain claims of innocence when the defendant is dead. And lawyers move on to other cases where there is still a chance to save lives. However, I have a small list of people that were given the death penalty, which after their death, very strong evidence that proved their innocence turned up. There are many reasons why innocent people are convicted. There can be lack of eye-witness testimonies, heightened publicity, limited resources for defense attorneys, and there is always great pressure on police and prosecutors to solve cases which lead to them settling on the wrong suspects. I have come to the conclusion that the steady stream of errors that we see in cases in which defendants are sentenced to death is a consequence of our...
Words: 430 - Pages: 2
...The Use of the Death Penalty A Paper Presented by the National Policy Committee to The American Society of Criminology National Policy Committee James Austin, Chair Kitty Calavita Roland Chilton Jeffrey Fagan Calvin C. Johnson Delores Jones-Brown Mark Moore Ira Schwartz Linda Teplin Franklin Zimring November 2001 The findings and opinions contained herein are those of the National Policy Committee and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the American Society of Criminology. Ronald Weitzer, Professor of Sociology, Dana Coleman, Research Assistant, and Sarah Benatar, Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute on Crime, Justice, and Corrections at George Washington University provided substantial assistance in the preparation of this document. Introduction Capital punishment is among the most hotly debated issues in American politics. Passions run high for both those who want the death penalty abolished and those who seek to preserve or expand its use. What follows is a summary of key issues in the death penalty debate, research findings on the application of capital punishment, and a discussion of policy considerations. The American Society of Criminology (ASC) is greatly concerned with the death penalty and its application in the United States. This year, ASC President Ronald Huff and the ASC Executive Board authorized the ASC’s National Policy Committee (NPC) to develop a policy paper that would focus on...
Words: 6090 - Pages: 25
...Of the Death penalty 2/6/2016 On the issue of death penalty the suggestions and thinking of justice Marshall and Brennan, that the death penalty is unconstitutional. After this decision the court has decide to leave the decision on the states to make their laws on the issue of capital punishment. Now advocates are trying to make new laws to end the autocracy and 35 states including Florida they enact the new laws of death penalty. Death penalty was imposed by Supreme Court in 1976 with some reforms which were come from all the states. They provide some guidelines for judge & jury on which behalf death penalty should impose. The guidelines were accepted in 1976 by supreme court in in Gregg v. Georgia (428 U.S. 153), Jurek v. Texas (428 U.S. 262), and Proffitt v. Florida (428 U.S. 242) and commonly this decision is known as Gregg decision. This death penalty decision is imposed or we can say reinstated first on Florida, Georgia & Texas. It came under the 8th amendments of the constitution. Under these reforms there were three procedures which is going to follow every time when someone came under death penalty. First bifurcated trials happened in which there is separate comment for the guilt and number of phases of the trial. Then after it second one is to see whether the crime require death penalty or lesser punishment. Last reform is to review convictions and punishment made. These procedural reforms will helps to states to eliminate the death penalty cases. Due...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...was shot execution style seven times because of a botched ransom attempt. How many times do you think Rebecca Patton pleaded for her life before she was shot and killed by her murderer? Should the court exercise mercy on the defendant because he now “understands” what he has done and regrets his decisions? Should the convicted killer be given the opportunity to live his life behind bars with the ability to visit with family, make friends, play sports, and/or educate himself even though he intentionally took those very things away from another individual? In an effort to explain why the death penalty is justifiable and civil I will be providing the pro arguments to the death penalty based on its justifiableness and morality. I will also examine the death penalty as a civilized punishment for mankind and why it is appropriate to exercise. The case that I noted above took place in the state of Texas and the verdict of the case was to execute Lesley Gosch, the defendant, for the crimes he committed. The execution of this criminal seems both justifiable and civil in this case due to its uniqueness. The victim in the case became part of a ransom plot that included threatening her life in order to force her husband to acquire funds for the murderer. Unfortunately, something in the home caused Lesley Gosch to shoot and kill Rebecca Patton even though the ransom was raised and all other factors were met. Lesley Gosch shot Rebecca Patton seven times with a .22 caliber handgun execution...
Words: 1657 - Pages: 7
...Is the Death Penalty Ethical? It is clear in our society that violent crimes, such as murder, should carry some sort of stiffer punishment than that of other, lesser crimes. What is not clear is what that punishment should be. One punishment that is a constant source of debate is the death penalty. In this paper, I will examine whether the death penalty is or is not ethical. Both sides of the issue will be explained, through examination of various aspects of it, which include religious and financial considerations, whether the death penalty is a deterrent or not, and whether or not it can be regarded as justice. I submit that the death penalty is an ethical and equitable punishment for murderers, and should be used throughout our country. The seemingly greatest amount of debate comes from a religious standpoint. Depending on whose interpretation one hears, the Bible is for or against capital punishment. Verses from The Bible are used by both sides of the argument to support their own beliefs. The United States is made up of numerous different religious cultures. A sample of a few official policies from some denominations’ web sites shows an almost fifty-fifty split for and against. For example, the Assemblies of God (USA) do not take a stance for or against the death penalty. The same is true for the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints, who say that it should be left to “…the prescribed processes of civil law.”(November 28, 2011). The...
Words: 2461 - Pages: 10
...punishment began in colonial periods when, against the consents of the English Crown, some settlements enacted only a few capital laws. Soon after the War for Independence and the adoption of the Constitution, America’s death penalty debate started in earnest. Capital Punishment is a subject that must be addressed with today’s violent society. The use of Capital Punishment in America has become a controversy among Americans. Controversy whether to ban Capital Punishment or not has become a top priority for most politicians. On one hand it brings justice, yet on the other its taking a life. After examining the benefit of capital punishment, one will likely conclude that the benefit of capital punishment outweighs the harm of expenditures, deterrent compensations, and retributions. The economic argument that people must always consider is the cost of the death penalty opposed to life imprisonment. According to California state records, the operating expense to finance the penalty costs tax payers more than $114 million annually (Tempest). A 2005 report from Newsday concluded that New Jersey tax payers have spent a total of $253 million since 1983, which is an incomparably greater cost than if capital punishment was idle (Newsday). "A 1991 study of the Texas criminal justice system estimated the cost of appealing capital murder is at $2,316,655. In contrast, the cost of...
Words: 1210 - Pages: 5
...Death Penalty Pro/Con – Preparation for discussion and writing We have spent a great deal of time looking at this highly controversial issue. Now, you must make some decisions. Remember that there is not a right or a wrong – your goal is to look at the issues that comprise the topic and to discuss the complexity of the issue. Use your readings as the basis for your answers. Provide specific textual references as evidence. Name the top 5 reasons that support the death penalty. (in order, please) Offer at least three concrete examples from your readings that illustrate this position. Name the top 5 reasons that oppose the death penalty. (in order, please) ) Offer at least three concrete examples from your readings that illustrate this position. Opposing Death Penalty: * Violates international human rights laws. * Executions cost more than life in prison. * $2 million per person vs. $500,000 (4x as much!). Free counsel for defense, for appeals, maximum security on a separate death row wing. * The innocent may be wrongly executed. * Since the DP was reinstated in 1976, 82 inmates have been freed from Death Row. That's 1 Death Row inmate found to be wrongfully convicted for every 7 executed. * Is not a deterrent; crime rates have not gone down. * In fact, the murder rate in the US is 6 times that of Britain and 5 times that of Australia. Neither country has the DP. Texas has twice the murder rate of Wisconsin, a state that doesn't...
Words: 631 - Pages: 3
