Death Penalty

Mark Costanzo, Just Revenge, (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997), 39.

Mark Costanzo, Just Revenge, 39.

Bob Burton, Criminal Injustice, http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=17&did=297.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN AMERICA

Introduction

The issue that is discussed in this paper is whether or not the death penalty should be used in the United States. By showing statistics, studies, and theories by several experts, this paper will address why the death penalty-also known as capital punishment- should be made illegal in the United States. Not all states currently have the death penalty, and some that do have it make it very challenging for a jury to sentence a criminal to death. Therefore, the U.S. should end the use of capital punishment because it cost more than life imprisonment, it is a major moral issue, and it does not deter crime.

The Process of the Death Penalty

A man was sentenced to death for killing his girlfriend, but he was not led straight to his execution. Rather, he waited in death row, hoping for an appeal. The appeals process is not quick at all. It is very long and could go on for years. If the defendant fails to win an appeal and the courts uphold the sentence, then they will more than likely be executed within thirty days of the decision. "If the appeals are pending, the defendant must apply for a stay of execution." This is where elected officials are included in the process; they do not want anything to ruin his/her chances for reelection. "If a district attorney decides not to seek the death penalty in a high-profile murder case, or a judge overturns a death sentence, or a governor commutes a death sentence, their political careers can be hobbled."