Now that weve covered what to look for in those death penalty articles, lets get to some more concrete examples. What Are the Pros of Abolishing the Death Penalty? A top Justice Department official says for many Americans the death penalty is a difficult issue on moral, religious and policy grounds. (Deterrence) 2.73: 1.27: 2.71: 1.36: 0.16 I become angry when a convicted murderer does not receive the death penalty . For instance, nine-in-ten of those who favor the death penalty also say that the death penalty is morally justified when someone commits a crime like murder. This way no innocent lives would be sentenced to death. Jeffrey A. Rosen is the deputy attorney general. Justice Breyer wrote in that 46-page dissent that he considered it highly likely that the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment, which bars cruel and unusual punishments. Just 25% of those who oppose the death penalty say it is morally justified. WASHINGTON (AP) Conservative justices holding the Supreme Court's majority seem likely to sink President Joe Biden's plan to wipe away or reduce student loans held by millions of Americans . White: 48.6%. As Ms. Longs stepmother later said, We just shouldnt have had to wait this long. The Supreme Court ultimately authorized the execution just before 3 a.m. Mr. Lees lawyers seem to endorse a system of endless delays that prevent a death sentence from ever becoming real. Removing the option to seek the death penalty would be unconstitutional because the Fifth Amendment authorizes its application as long as ". Use ProCon.org to help students strengthen their persuasive writing by identifying and responding to counterarguments. Improperly trained defense lawyers, racial discrimination by juries, judges that dont follow protocol, and rushed post-conviction procedures are all cited as reasons for so many executions. DPIC is a non-profit organization serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment. In July, the United States carried out its first federal execution in 17 years. The Innocence Project, founded in 1992, focuses on providing legal services and DNA testing with the purpose of winning exoneration for wrongfully convicted prisoners. After an appellate court rejected their claim as without merit, the Justice Department rescheduled Mr. Lees execution, providing an additional four weeks of notice. (1996) "Death penalty functions to preserve just society," by Andrew Jones. If you use the citation in your paper, dont forget to update the access date (in this case 14 Jan. 2015) to the date you accessed the site. This view is particularly widespread among Black adults: 85% of Black adults say Black people are more likely than Whites to receive the death penalty for being convicted of similar crimes (61% of Hispanic adults and 49% of White adults say this). Choose articles from reputable sources. What about restorative justice, an approach that considers harm done and strives for agreement from all concerned the victims, the offender and the community on making amends? In 2020, following seventeen years without carrying out the penalty, the federal government executed ten people. Justice requires that society impose on criminals losses equal to those they imposed on innocent persons. New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2013. Purification, one of the most central of biblical themes, reveals to us both the temporal and eternal perspectives on humanity. The Economist Newspaper Limited, 26 Apr. A large majority of liberal Democrats (82%) and a smaller, though still substantial, majority of conservative and moderate Democrats (70%) say the death penalty does not deter serious crimes. As of January 2021, Black defendants accounted for 34.1 percent of all people executed in the United States since 1976 and over 40 percent of the country's death row population despite making up just over 13 percent of the general US population. What other ideas do you have? "violent crime has declined 11 percent, with murder showing the largest decline at even more than 22 percent. In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. This books brings together original work by prominent scholars in an effort to better understand the growth of life without parole and its social, cultural, political, and legal meanings. Oklahoma attorney general Mike Hunter announced that the state would adopt nitrogen gas inhalation as its primary method of execution in March 2018, citing the difficulty in procuring the mandated drugs for lethal injection. They sought to obstruct by any means the administration of sentences that Congress permitted, juries supported and the Supreme Court approved. The author considers reasons for the decline in capital punishment, as well as how geographical variance impacts the debate over execution as a fair and just punishment. Four of the eight inmates were ultimately executed, while four received stays of execution. Although the death penalty is already effective at deterring possible criminals, it would be even more effective if the legal process were carried out more quickly instead of having inmates on death row for years.The death penalty also carries out retribution justly. About a quarter of Democrats (23%) strongly oppose the death penalty, compared with 17% who strongly favor it. For example, Black people are overrepresented on death row, and a recent study found that defendants convicted of killing white victims were executed at a rate 17 times greater than those convicted of killing Black victims. Does this information change or reinforce your opinion of capital punishment? Michael Smith. 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. CON Opponents who argue that the death penalty is not a deterrent to capital crimes state that there is no evidence to support the claim that the penalty is a deterrent. Executions in the United States peaked during the 1930s at an average rate of 167 per year. 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. Why its a good source: Although it is primarily based on an emotional appeal, this is a good article to get background and historical information about the death penalty. While death sentences have fallen across the country since the 1970s, the majority of executions that have taken place are attributable to a relatively small number of counties. By the early 1900s, most states had adopted laws that allowed juries to apply either the death penalty or a sentence of life in prison. Supporters of capital punishment argue that it deters crime and provides ultimate justice for crime victims, particularly murder victims. Among the public overall, 64% say the death penalty is morally justified in cases of murder, while 33% say it is not justified. Mr. Lees lawyers opposed that request, insisting that overturning the order would result in their clients imminent execution. The death penalty helps ease overpopulation in prisons and it ensures that less tax payers' money is spent for the maintenance of individuals that have acted against society in the most violent way. The article admits that 100% accuracy in anything is impossible, but it commends Romney for trying. His successor, Joe Biden, has voiced opposition to the death penalty and stated his intention to introduce reforms. Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 30 Oct. 2013. Because of the requirements of some publications, they may not be able to vehemently express these opinions, but you should still be able to at least tell if its an article that is for or against the death penalty. Conversely, it costs approximately $200,000 to $300,000 to convict and sentence an . Muhlhausen, David B. Concepts of retribu-tion, deterrence, and just punishment are discussed in the most . Under what conditions, if any, do you think a court should sentence a person to death? Critics accused Arkansas officials of carrying out executions in an "assembly line" fashion, and drug companies also objected to the state's use of a pharmaceutical formulation in lethal injections. The rulings followed the appointment of five members of the conservative Federalist Society to the court in under a year. Yet, in less than a year, with the promulgation of a . The Supreme Court ruled in Atkins v. Virginia (2002) that executing people with intellectual disabilities violated the Eighth Amendment but left the definition of intellectual disabilities up to individual states. How so? 14 Jan. 2015. 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. 2014. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. It will make your arguments and the support for those arguments much stronger. The author ends by calling executions grotesque and, as the title suggests, cruel and unusual, no matter the method. Grades: 8-10 More>>. During the 1990s, the Supreme Court issued several decisions that upheld the constitutionality of capital punishment and limited defendants' opportunities to have their cases reviewed. It ignores the fundamental truth of biblical anthropology: the soul that sins must die; sin incurs a debt that must be paid. In 1999 state governments carried out ninety-eight executions, the highest number since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty. Death Penalty. Most death penalty cases involve the execution of murderers although capital punishment can also be applied for treason, espionage, and other crimes. Furman's death sentence was found to be "cruel and unusual punishment" that contravened the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution. Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays. Contemporary arguments for and against capital punishment fall under three general headings: moral, utilitarian, and practical. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public. 14 Jan. 2015. Addressing the Counterarguments. At sentencing hearings, the prosecution and the defense present information about the defendant's character and background; they also submit arguments for either stern or merciful treatment. 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. Is it ever justified, such as for the most heinous crimes? When he signed the bill, Northam referenced the disproportionate use of the death penalty against Black men in the state and the 170 prisoners sentenced to death row who had been exonerated after capital punishment was reinstated in the United States. The Court reasoned that the laws resulted in a disproportionate application of the death penalty, specifically discriminating against the poor and minorities. 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. Vast racial disparities in the administration of the death penalty have been found. Law School students learn crucial lessons in 'Capital Punishment in America'. 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. However, death penalty supporters decried the ban, arguing that judges should be able to decide if the death penalty is warranted based on the circumstances of each case. . 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. Furthermore, a 2009 survey of criminologists revealed that "over 88% believed the death penalty was not a deterrent to murder.". Toobin, Jeffrey. In Death Penaltys Steady Decline, Some Experts See a Societal Shift. The New York Times. However, a worldwide poll conducted in 2006 indicates that 52% of the world's population supports the death penalty. The death penalty, known as capital punishment, is the government-sanctioned taking of a life as punishment for a crime. There are states that have secondary methods of execution such as electrocution, gas chamber, hanging as well as firing squad, however these methods aren't used nearly as often as injection is. It eliminates sympathetic reactions to someone charged with a capital crime. High quality drugs with speedy delivery. After the execution of Louis Jones Jr. in March 2003, no federal executions were scheduled until July 2019, when William Barr, the US Attorney General under President Donald Trump, announced that federal executions would resume. "The Death Penalty is Cheaper Than Feeding a Murderer for Life" According to the Death Penalty Information Center, independent studies in several states, including Oklahoma, reveal that capital punishment is actually far more expensive to administer than life imprisonment. Slow Death of the Death Penalty. Economist. Death penalty is associated with both pros and cons as it is examined below. Mercy and pardon are proper to God . A post accompanying this report provides further detail and analysis of the mode differences seen on this question. If you near the end of your essay and dont feel confident that you have enough support, or are just unsure about your grammar, send it to one of the Kibin editors. 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. And when those tactics failed, they accused the Justice Department of a grave threat to the rule of law, even though it operated entirely within the law enacted by Congress and approved by the Supreme Court. This in-depth article examines US state legislation that has impacted death sentencing in capital crimes. Crimes punishable by death are called capital offenses. Exoneration occurs when a person's conviction is overturned. Web. It uses Gallup poll data to explain national attitudes toward the death penalty and whether the death penalty is carried out justly and with the right frequency. Why or why not. 14 Jan. 2015. SIRS Issues Researcher 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. The sources are credible, and the article also includes anecdotal support. 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. A top Justice Department official says for many Americans the death penalty is a difficult issue on moral, religious and policy grounds. The Daily Beast, 31 July 2014. Republicans are 29 percentage points more likely than Democrats to say the death penalty is morally justified, 28 points more likely to say it deters serious crimes, and 19 points more likely to say that adequate safeguards exist. What historical factors have spurred capital punishment reform in the United States? 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. The death penalty is one of the most contentious issues in our society today. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. The recent executions reflect that consensus, as the Justice Department has an obligation to carry out the law. The use of the death penalty is gradually disappearing in the United States. What its about: This article, like the one above, is more concerned with problems within the structure of the death penalty than with whether or not there should be a death penalty. Among Republicans, a narrow majority of conservative Republicans (56%) say the death penalty does deter serious crimes, while a similar share of moderate and liberal Republicans (57%) say it does not. A. Alabama 443. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Among those with postgraduate degrees, a larger share say they oppose (55%) than favor (44%) the death penalty. Or are you universally opposed to capital punishment? These rulings overturned existing standards for evidence and jury agreement when imposing the death penalty. The New York Times Company, 19 Dec. 2013. Yet the death penalty for people convicted of murder continues to draw support from a majority of Americans despite widespread doubts about its administration, fairness and whether it deters serious crimes. A similar ruling was handed down by the court in Moore v. Texas (2017), which stated that the standards used to determine intellectual disability in Texas created an "unacceptable risk that persons with intellectual disabilities will be executed.". (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax But Democrats are divided over whether the death penalty is morally justified. Cohen, Andrew. Inside, the mood was somber. Among Democrats, adults ages 50 to 64 are much more likely than adults in other age groups to favor the death penalty. The court ruled that mandatory capital punishment laws were too rigid. The answer was unequivocal: He would stay as long as it took. Republicans ages 18 to 34 are less likely than other Republicans to say they favor the death penalty. Another point to paper pro death penalty a job well done. 10-Year Unsolved Crime Leads to Death: Frank Welch Story. Table of Contents. 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. In the years since the McCleskey ruling, opponents of capital punishment have continued to voice concerns about the role of racial bias in death penalty sentencing. A large majority of White adults without college degrees (72%) favor the death penalty, compared with about half (47%) of White adults who have degrees. How people can support the death penalty? While eighty-five state executions were carried out in 2000, there were twenty-five in 2018 and twenty-two in 2019. (Retribution) 3.05: 1.28: 2.88: 1.31: 0.78 The death penalty is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment. 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. Mr. The third execution, of Dustin Honken, occurred on schedule, but still too late for some of his victims families. Sophisticated studies at the state level show that the death penalty costs taxpayers more than life without parole. Concerns over botched executions using untested lethal injection methods reached the US Supreme Court, which handed down its decision in Bucklew v. Precythe in April 2019. It also gives statistics on the racial disparity of capital punishment. Since 1978, California has spent more than $4 billion administering the death penalty, or more than $308 million per person for each of the 13 people who have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated. The decision required states to develop consistent legal standards for capital punishment to ensure that sentences matched the severity of offenses and did not cause undue pain and suffering. Illegal Immigration. To begin with, the Death Penalty is mainly known as Capital Punishment. Mr. Lees lawyers also disregarded the cost to victims families of continued delay. For example, is life in prison without the possibility of parole a sufficient sentence? ABOLITIONIST ARGUMENTS concerning the death penalty always seem a bit unsatisfying. 18 Sep, 2015. Why its a good source: Though the article does not include links to the studies and polls it references, it gives substantial statistics and cites where they came fromDuke University study and a Gallup poll. Nor did the family members of Wesley Purkeys victim, Jennifer Long, who were in Terre Haute on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Lees lawyers and other death penalty opponents are entitled to disagree with that sentiment. The Death Penalty Can Ensure Justice Is Being Done, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/opinion/federal-death-penalty.html. Those who favor the death penalty consistently express more favorable attitudes regarding specific aspects of the death penalty than those who oppose it. Web. Emotional outburst disrupts death penalty trial in NY attack The sobbing father of a man convicted of killing eight people on a New York City bike path has apologized to victims and professed love for his son in the death penalty phase of the defendant's trial Feb. 22, 2023, 6:08 PM ET (AP) GOP Oklahoma lawmakers join call for death penalty pause As you can tell, there are a lot of different types of sources out theresome are emotional, some are dry and factual. Web. There are substantial demographic differences in views of whether death sentencing is applied fairly across racial groups. The majority decision reasoned that the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment does not equate to a guarantee of a painless execution. Governors had placed moratoriums on the death penalty in an additional three states. One of the most popular topics for an argument essay is the death penalty. 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. But as a legal issue, it is straightforward. There are some crimes that are, frankly, so terrible that there is no other suitable form of punishment. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. After reviewing the matter, the court granted the governments request, rebuked the District Court for creating an unjustified last-minute barrier, and directed that the execution could proceed. As inhumane and morbid as it may sound, the death penalty is something that should remain in the United States. In Expedited Spree of Executions Faced Little Supreme Court Scrutiny, Adam Liptak writes about the recent federal executions: In 2015, a few months before he died, Justice Antonin Scalia said he would not be surprised if the Supreme Court did away with the death penalty. Why its a good source: This source gives a lot of specific information about what one state is doing wrong, complete with anecdotes and numbers. Most people who write about the death penalty have an opinion one way or the other about it. Anyone can read what you share. Among Republicans who favor the death penalty, 78% say that Black and White people are equally likely to receive this sentence. Caplan-Bricker, Nora. Why the Death Penalty Needs to Die. The Daily Beast. It concludes by stating that the execution of criminals is a deterrent for murderers and ultimately saves innocent lives. The term death penalty is sometimes used interchangeably with capital . People with four-year college degrees (68%) also are more likely than those who have not completed college (50%) to say that Black people and White people are treated differently when it comes to the death penalty. (2001) "Capital Punishment," by Ryan Koder. Both the mean and median age of the nation's death row population was 51. The 54 ruling held that challenges to a state's method of execution due to claims of excessive pain must demonstrate that alternative methods exist that would cause less pain than the state-determined one. Critics cast doubt on its value as a crime deterrent and argued that the courts applied it inconsistently and unequally. Are there alternatives to the death penalty that you think would be more appropriate? 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. For each article I give you, Ive also included an MLA citation. Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses, and its methodology. While public support for the death penalty has changed only modestly in recent years, support for the death penalty declined substantially between the late 1990s and the 2010s. For this analysis, we surveyed 5,109 U.S. adults from April 5 to 11, 2021. Web. By the 1800s, federal law not only permitted capital punishment but required it in cases involving certain crimes. In fact, being pro-death penalty is a pro-life position. Most states authorized a system of allowing the jury to decide the guilty party's punishment, though some allowed judges to make the decision or retain the right to overrule the jury. 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. The death penalty is far more expensive than a system in which life imprisonment without parole is the maximum sentence. Amnesty International holds that the death penalty breaches human rights, in particular the right to life and the right to live free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It lists issues such as lethal drug shortages and legal expenses as reasons why the death penalty is losing popularity. 14 Jan. 2015. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. From 2000 to the most recent poll in . 10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S. Death penalty draws more Americans support online than in telephone surveys, California is one of 11 states that have the death penalty but havent used it in more than a decade, Public support for the death penalty ticks up, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, The changing face of Congress in 8 charts. It is estimated that up to 4% of the people on death row right now are actually innocent of the crime they were convicted of committing. Do you have worries about the fair application of the death penalty, or about the possibility of the criminal justice system executing an innocent person? Among Republicans and Republican leaners who favor the death penalty, 94% say it is morally justified; 86% of Democrats and Democratic leaners who favor the death penalty also say this. It also provides links to a study from the University of Colorado and a paper from Emory University to help back up these claims as well. Arguments against the death penalty. 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. Cruel and Unusual. New Yorker. An eye for an eye has been a law for ages. Giving the death penalty as a punishment simply restores order to society and adequately punishes the criminal for his wrongdoing. The deepest element of the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" is to protect human life, and is the requirement to show reverence and love for every person and the life of every human being.The assault on human life is a consequence of original sin. As John Duncan was dying of cancer in 2018, he asked family members to promise they would witness the execution on his behalf. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. In McCleskey v. Kemp (1987), the US Supreme Court again confronted the issue of race and capital punishment. As in the past, support for the death penalty differs across racial and ethnic groups. And while a majority of Hispanic adults without college degrees (58%) say they favor the death penalty, a smaller share (47%) of those with college degrees say this. It includes a few links to studies and organizations that oppose the death penalty. Pros and Cons of Abolishing the Death Penalty, The death penalty should be abolished because it violates the Eighth Amendment's protection against ". Although they note that some members of Mr. Lees victims families opposed his execution, others did not. Also, the death penalty is a problem which costs money for the country. Between 1973 and 2020, 173 inmates on death row in the United States were exonerated. 14 Jan. 2015. In the article "Death penalty is a deterrence", the authors claims that by practicing the death penalty, violent crimes will decrease. Across educational and racial or ethnic groups, majorities say that the death penalty does not deter serious crimes, although there are differences in how widely this view is held. Execution on his behalf 2018, He asked family members to promise they would the... There is no other suitable form of punishment Being done, https: //www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/opinion/federal-death-penalty.html Court again confronted the issue race... 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