The death penalty is the act of punishing a criminal to death who has committed a crime such as first-degree murder, espionage, or treason. This process can also be called capital punishment. The death penalty law started to become a controversial topic in the early 20th century after World War 1. Opponents of the death penalty argue the inhumane, unconstitutional, and wrongly accused aspects of the death penalty. Proponents argue the financial savings, deterrent effects, and retribution aspects of the death penalty.
The cost of a death penalty case is extremely high, including the trial, the drugs necessary for the injection, etc. On the other hand, the cost of the sentence of life imprisonment is also very high. It is very expensive to pay for someone’s necessities to live for the rest of
Capital punishment, also known as death penalty, is an act of execution of an offender that is sentenced to death after they were convicted by a court of law of a criminal offence (Hood). In American society, the threat of capital punishment stands as the ultimate sentence for a criminal. The moral complications of the taking another life, whether it is by murder or as legally accepted punishment, remains an unresolved conflict between Americans. Death penalty has always been and continues to be a very controversial issue. Many people believe that death penalty is not a justifiable approach for murderers, but does not justice mandate that criminals receive what they deserve?
What exactly does the phrase, “Eye for an eye” really mean then? An “Eye for an Eye” means if a person commits a crime, they too should be punished. The Death Penalty is the “Eye for an Eye” punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. But is this form of punishment the most fair and just way for society, the community, the perpetrator, or even the family members whose loved one was killed? What justice does it bring, except for the
Waiting in a prison cell for many years, an inmate in death row doesn’t know when his life will come to an end. This is a law under the U.S. government that is allowed to kill people who have committed a crime that’s grave enough. If someone commits a capital crime, they will be punished legally under the law. Taking a rope to the neck, or charging volts to the brain, it’s what people are fighting against today. Organizations are taking action against the death penalty by researching, publishing, and exposing facts whenever officials want to abuse their power with the law.
To argue that capital punishment is justified, one must initially state the possible objectives of the policy of capital punishment: revenge, retribution, general deterrence and specific deterrence. Some objectives of punishment--for instance, rehabilitation--do not apply. However, out of all those that do apply, one of them has the most benefit to the society: general deterrence. Specific deterrence means simply preventing the particular criminal from commiting more crimes. The death penalty achieves this objective, but more impressive is how it deters future crime by other criminals.
The Death Penalty The death penalty has been, and still is, one of the most discussed topics in the United States. Its opponents argue it to be an unnecessary and violent punishment because it seems no less barbaric than the crime, as well as it is sometimes not believed to serve its purpose as a deterrent. However, there is a fundamental difference between the loss of an innocent life and the execution of a criminal in accordance with the law. Death penalty might not be the most ideal solution, but abolishing it would put in danger the lives of many innocent and law-abiding citizens. Not only has the death penalty proven to be constitutional, cost effective, ethically correct deterrent of future murders, but it also is a punishment that fits the crime.
It imposes the mandatory death penalty on 21 crimes while the other 25 crimes are death eligible. These are crimes for which a range of penalties including the death penalty is imposed. The death penalty is an easy way out for a government in the face of a strong outcry from the citizenry who wanted the government to stop criminality. It is being used to create the illusion that the government is doing something to stop the crimes when in fact it is
However, it’s been argued the cost of capital punishment is more than putting a criminal through maximum sentence – life imprisonment and there is a possibility of making an irreversible mistake of executing an innocent person. (deathpenalty.procon.org, 2016) Therefore, there is a need to further research as to whether capital punishment is a benefit or harm to society. 1.2 Objectives of the
It does not always end up in a single judgment. The judge is the person who makes final decision though jury has own judgment. Before reaching the sentence, the criminal justice process undergoes commencement of proceedings, appearance in court, bail hearing (also called interim release hearing), preliminary inquiry (also called preliminary hearing) and trial. The time given to prove innocence is a strongest point in the criminal justice process. In this case, in justice of the victims (two deceased persons) who were murdered, the eye-witness and the knife with blood matches found in Mr. James Lane’s residence are biggest evidence which make the accused to be found guilty.