Capital Punishment

1
Capital Punishment

• By Cam, Jimmy, Quynh, Tom, May, Nhan, Daukee

2
Introduction

• Growing debate subject in the U.S. and other
  European countries
• Definition of capital punishment The
  infliction of the death penalty on persons
  convicted of a crime
• Generally, there are two points of views
  legalizing or abolishing capital punishment

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Thesis

• Should the U.S. government allow capital
  punishment?

4
History of Capital Punishment

• Adopted from British common laws
• By 1960, people requested Bill of Rights to state
  criminal proceeding in capital cases
• 1968-1978, Capital Punishment law was repealed
  due to public demand
• 5th Amendment authorized the death penalty

5
Analyzing the Problem

• Agreement
• Discourages people from committing crimes
• Justifiable for atrocious crime (rape, murder,
  treason)
• Prevents criminals from repeating their crimes
• Disagreement
• The possibility of error
• Unfair judgment
• Financially cost the government and the taxpayers

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Proponents Arguments
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Discourages People from Committing Crimes

• With risk of being sentenced to death, the law
  have criminals thinking twice before making an
  action.
• Criminals know they will not be off the hook

8
Justifiable

• The United States should not ban capital
  punishment because it is a just punishment that
  fits horrible crimes like murder, rape, and
  treason and many others.
• Proponents of capital punishment believe that A
  prison sentence, even a life sentence without
  possibility of parole, does not adequately avenge
  the cruelest and most calculated murders
  (Update).

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Prevents from Repeated Crimes

• It saves innocent lives by preventing convicted
  murders from killing again, stated Paul G.
  Cassell (Bedau and Cassell 187).
• These criminals may end up carry out a killing
  spree since there is nothing to stop them if
  capital punishment is illegalized.

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Opponents Arguments
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The Possibility of Error

• Lawyers and law students have overturned many
  cases decision where convicted people are
  innocent of their crimes but sentenced to death

12
Unfair Judgment

• The racial discrimination and the gender can
  effect to the death penalty
• Statistics
• Between 1930 and the end of 1996, 4,220 prisoners
  were executed in the United States more than
  half (53) were black.
• Between 1930 and 1976, 455 men were executed for
  rape, of whom 405 - 90 percent - were black.
• Of the 3,200 prisoners on death row in 1996, 40
  were black.
• An exhaustive statistical study of racial
  discrimination in capital cases in Georgia, for
  example, showed that "the average non-white of
  receiving a death sentence among all indicted
  cases were 4.3 times higher in cases with white
  victims.
• The killing of a white person is treated much
  more severely than the killing of a black person.
  Of the 313 persons executed between January 1977
  and the end of 1995, 36 had been convicted of
  killing a black person while 249 (80) had killed
  a white person. Of the 178 white defendants
  executed, only three had been convicted of
  murdering people of color.
• During the 1980s and early 1990s, only about one
  percent of all those on death row were women even
  though women commit about 15 percent of all
  criminal homicides. A third or more of the women
  under death sentence were guilty of killing men
  who had victimized them with years of violent
  abuse. Since 1930, only 33 women (12 of them
  black) have been executed in the United States.

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Unfair Judgment (continued)

• The killing of a white person is treated much
  more severely than the killing of a black person.
  Of the 313 persons executed between January 1977
  and the end of 1995, 36 had been convicted of
  killing a black person while 249 (80) had killed
  a white person. Of the 178 white defendants
  executed, only three had been convicted of
  murdering people of color.
• During the 1980s and early 1990s, only about one
  percent of all those on death row were women even
  though women commit about 15 percent of all
  criminal homicides. A third or more of the women
  under death sentence were guilty of killing men
  who had victimized them with years of violent
  abuse. Since 1930, only 33 women (12 of them
  black) have been executed in the United States.

14
Financial Cost

• In terms of economics, it is more expensive to
  execute a criminal than keeping him in prison for
  life.
• Taxpayers should not be barring that cost
• The money could be used for education and the
  community than on the death of another

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Solutions

• Alternative to Death Penalty
• Life sentence of at least 25 years before being
  considered for parole
• Work-prison working inside the prison to pay for
  their own imprisonment
• Working to raise funds for the victims and
  survivors of violent crimes

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Solutions

• Increasing the number of juries on capital
  punishment cases
• Stop juvenile execution
• Educate juvenile prisoners
• Increase the number of police officers in the law
  enforcement system

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Conclusion

• Resulting numerous debates over the morality and
  legality of the death penalty
• Should be retained because it discourages people
  from committing crimes, is fair for certain
  crimes such as murder and treason, and it helps
  preventing repeated crimes
• Should not be retained because its possibility of
  error, promoting discrimination, and financial
  cost.

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Bibliography

• Bedau, Hugo, and Paul Cassell, eds. Debating the
  Death Penalty. Oxford Oxford UP, 2004.
• Donohue, John J., and Justin Wolfers. "The Death
  Penality No Evidence for Deterrence." Death
  Penality Information Center. Apr. 2006. 14 Oct.
  2007 lthttp//www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/DonohueDeter
  .pdfgt. Grant, Robert. "Capital Punishment
  Exacerbates Violence." Current Controversies
  Capital Punishment. Ed. Mary E. Williams. San
  Diego Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing
  Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. VCCS
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• Jost, K. (1999, February 12). Plea-bargaining. CQ
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  cqresearcher/cqresrre1999021200gt.
• "The Case Against the Death Penalty." American
  Civil Liberties Union. 31 Dec. 1997. 14
• Oct. 2007 lthttp//www.aclu.org/capital/general/10
  441pub19971231.htmlgt.
• Tucker, Cynthia. DNA Refutes Case for Bill on
  Death Penalty Main Edition. The Atlanta
  Journal-Constitution. 31 Jan. 2007
  A.19. ProQuest. Northern Virginia Community Coll.
  Lib., Alexandria, VA. 16 Oct. 2007
  lthttp//proquest.comgt.
• "Update Death Penalty." Issues Controversies
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