The Death Penalty Is A Violation Of Civil Liberties

1. What year and in what case did the US Supreme Court decide that the administration of the death penalty was unconstitutional? Provide a compelling statement form the opinion in this case.

More than two centuries ago, the death penalty was commonplace in the United States, but today it is becoming increasingly rare. In the article “Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished?”, Diann Rust-Tierney argues that it should be abolished, and Joshua Marquis argues that it should not be abolished. Although the death penalty is prone to error and discrimination, the death penalty should not be abolished because several studies show that the death penalty has a clear deterrent effect, and we need capital punishment for those certain cases in which a killer is beyond redemption.

The death penalty is one of the most controversial issues on American soil. Blacks are more likely to face the death penalty than whites in the commission of identical crimes(CNN, 2014). The history of capital punishment dates back to the days before Christ. The Old Testament adage 'an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,' has survived throughout the ages despite the New Testament's rendition of 'thou shall not kill'. Today's American victims endure a more demure of style of cruel and unusual punishment; death by lethal injection has replaced the barbaric traditions of the past.

Prison holds Millions of Americans everyday. Whether it be for theft, murder, or drugs, the morals of these people imprisoned have been corrupted and they have chosen to break the law. American citizens have always been faced with these questions: Is the death penalty morally right to execute? Is death penalty breaking the eighth Amendment? Depending on the person, they may agree with these questions or disagree. Even though times in America have changed tremendously, The death penalty should still be used as form of punishment and the crimes for life sentences should be reduced.

1. Being in prison for life is tough enough, life imprisonment breaks down one’s mental health which is more detrimental and serves more as a “payback” to the murderer.

Punishing crime is an important task that our society must complete however we should be able to do so in a just and fair manner.” Under revised laws, most states now use a [two part] trial system, where the first determines a defendant’s guilt, and the second determines the sentence of a guilty defendant. In most trials Jurors are usually only given the option of either sentencing a convicted felon to life in prison or death” (1 Evans Kim). As a report by Kim Evans shows the death penalty shows that it follows a dangerous eye for an eye philosophy, which forces us to ask the question if we should have a system like that in a modern society. The answer is no and an article written by Christoph Heyns and Juan Mendez perfectly states the reasons why.

The punishment reserved for the worst offenders can be either the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Today, there are thirty-two states that choose to execute criminals for their horrendous crimes and eighteen states that use life without parole to punish those who committed the worst crimes. Life without parole often called “Civil Death” is a punishment that specifies that offenders will spend the remainder of their life in Jail, while death penalty is a punishment allowing to put offenders on the death row for crimes they committed. At first sight death penalty and life without parole seem different but they have more in common than what meets the eyes. First, death penalty and life without parole are both the highest form of

However satisfying vengeance may seem, a civilized society cannot accept an eye-for-an- eye, tooth-for-a-tooth delivery of justice. Although some families and loved ones of murder victims approve the death penalty, many others are against it. Further, some family members of homicide victims comment that the death penalty process prolongs their pain, and only serves to make their healing more elusive. Financial and emotional support is what they need most, not more violence. In the words of the father of one murder victim, "Violence is not an acceptable method of solving the problems that arise in our daily lives.... The use of the death penalty only lowers the standards of government to the

The death penalty; a controversial issue, the world is split on. While countless believe it can deter crime and potential criminals, others believe it is costly, immoral, and unjust. While the death penalty is illegal in Canada, several other developed countries still utilize it as an ample form of punishment. This brings up questions about its use as a punishment. Is the death penalty superior to incarceration? And Is the death penalty moral? These questions— when answered— formed my belief that the death penalty should not be used in today’s modern society under any circumstance.

Lifetime imprisonment and the death penalty are both punishments used for serious criminals who can be considered “a threat to society”. Life imprisonment can come with the option of possibility of parole throughout serving their sentencing or a life sentence without parole. The life sentence is a commonly used punishment between the two due to the fact in the United States of America only 31 of the 50 states still use the death penalty. The remaining states are left with a death penalty ban. Between the two punishments, the life sentence is the most practical and provides the most justice for the wronged compared to the death penalty that is very costly, inhumane but almost too easy and can and has put innocent lives at risk.

I began my research by looking into the death penalty or also known as capital punishment. The death penalty is the action of executing a person who has committed an illegal act equivalent to death. Crimes punishable by death vary depending on the state; some include murder, sexual assault, treason, and other serious capital crimes (“Crimes Punishable”, 2011). There are many different outlooks on the death penalty; some in favor of the death penalty believe it is the ultimate balance between good and evil and they often use the phrase, “an eye, for an eye.” By using death as punishment they can assure society

Capital punishment has been around for many years as a way of executing criminals. Despite what most believe, capital punishment is not functional in the American society. Defenders of the death penalty often claim that the execution of criminals will teach others not to do bad, initially decreasing crime rates. Unfortunately, statistics prove that thought to be wrong. Capital punishment also has great flaws. For example, many innocent people have been put to death because of capital punishment. There also is no consistency. Two of the same crimes can be convicted in two different states and the consequences with be different for both offenders. The death penalty shows to be

Life in prison is better than the death penalty because it cost more to kill them than to put them in jail for life. Judy Kerr states “sentencing people to grow old and died naturally in prison cost far less than trying to execute them.” This is supporting the reason because if it is cheaper to put

Can life imprisonment be a good alternative to death penalty? The issue remains unresolved. Even the US Supreme Court that had abolished ‘Death Penalty’ reversed its decision when new and less cruel methods of execution were introduced. Why does a society punish its members for certain acts that are offensive and unacceptable to its laws and codes? This can be a starting point of exploring our dilemma about death penalty vs. life imprisonment. It is argued that fear of death deters people from committing crimes, and the penalty of death exerts a positive moral influence. The American death penalty laws have invited ire and ridicule of human rights activists everywhere,

Convicted criminals who commit capital offences have their punishable future established for them. Depending on the state, the criminals either serve life in prison without the chance of parole or are sentenced to death by execution. While both alternatives serve the justice needed for their crimes, upon further evaluation, life imprisonment is better than the death penalty.