Death Penalty Persuasive Speech

And again to give you an example let’s assume you are opposed to the death penalty and you feel so strongly about it, you may never vote for murder in the 1st degree because if you didn’t vote, if you don’t have a unanimous verdict as to murder in the 1st degree, you may say well fine this is murder in the 2nd degree. Now, that certainly -- let’s finish. If the evidence shows its murder in the 2nd degree or Mr. Keith should be acquitted that’s what you ought to do, that’s what you’re here for. However, we don’t want you to have an opinion for or against the death penalty.

Let’s assume you hate the death penalty, you may in other words automatically vote against 1st degree murder even though the evidence were overwhelming and say, “fine I’ll never vote for 1st degree, I’m going to sit here and vote 2nd degree or acquit because I’m opposed to the death penalty.” And by speaking with -- I don’t want you to get on there and say, “Oh boy I think everybody ought to, I’m law and order” which is fine. I think everybody if they commit a murder, you may feel that everybody with 2nd degree murder ought to get the death penalty. So we don’t want you to just automatically charge on and say “fine I’m