Verified Document

Result Of Re-Imposing The Death Penalty Essay

Death Penalty Since re-imposing the death penalty in 1977, the United States of America has executed more than 1200 persons, and currently has more than 3000 more awaiting execution. Proponents of capital punishment claim that these deaths were necessary for the protection of society and the deterrence of future criminal activity. But opponents reject these arguments and cite scientific studies and statistics which demonstrate the death penalty has been used by courts in an arbitrary and unfair manner, more often given as sentences to the poor and minorities. In addition, opponents point to the fact that over 138 people have been exonerated and released from death rows since the early 1970's, while statistically, at least 10% of those convicted of capital crimes are actually innocent. While there are many more reasons why the death penalty should be permanently abolished, the way it has been misused and the fact that many sentenced to death are later exonerated of the...

However, this decision was overturned when a number of states rewrote their death penalty statutes in order to remove the taint of racial bias. Unfortunately, statistics have once again demonstrated that since the reinstatement of the death penalty, "race continues to plague the application of the death penalty in the United States." ("Racial Disparities") For instance, while close to 75% of those convicted in drug-related capital cases were white, only 11% of those white defendants received the death penalty. On the other hand, while 24% of the defendants were black, 78% of those black defendants received the death penalty. With statistics like these,…

Sources used in this document:
References

Gross, Samuel, et al. (2004). "Exonerations in the United States 1989 Through 2003:

Social Science Research Network." Going to Search. Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=753084

Information Center. Retrieved from www.deathpenaltyinfo.org.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Death Penalty There Are Many Situations and
Words: 2701 Length: 7 Document Type: Thesis

Death Penalty There are many situations and concerns in the world that require using ethical thought. There are many issues we read about an learn about when we have to ask ourselves what we believe in. Which side do we take on euthanasia or abortion or sexual morays? It is the responsibility of all people to explore these issues so that their opinions are education and well-informed. It is the

Women and the Death Penalty
Words: 5499 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

Women and the Death Penalty Analysis An Analysis of the Historical Effect of Gender and Race on the Application of the Death Penalty in the United States While the debate over capital punishment continues to rage in the United States, questions of why the death penalty is viewed as ethical by some, while others would view it as unethical become increasingly significant. In addition, there are new controversies concerning the ethical nature

Modern Criminal Justice
Words: 5887 Length: 18 Document Type: Essay

Death penalty is generally conceived of as the supreme legal sanction, inflicted only against perpetrators of the most serious crimes. The human rights community has traditionally held a stance against the death penalty for a wide variety of reasons: critics argue that the death penalty is inhuman and degrading; that it is inappropriately applied and often politically motivated; and that rather than reducing crime, the viciousness of the punishment only

Sentencing Disparities Between Crack Cocaine
Words: 8900 Length: 32 Document Type: Term Paper

The judge must choose a sentence from within the guideline range unless the court identifies an aggravating or mitigating circumstance that was not adequately considered by the Sentencing Commission. In mandatory minimum drug cases, judges can depart only upon motion from the government stating that a defendant has provided substantial assistance in the investigation or prosecution of another person. All guideline drug sentences are indirectly affected by the mandatory minimums.

History of Habeas Corpus
Words: 6204 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

history of Habeas Corpus. There are twelve references used for this paper. There have been a number of laws that have survived the test of time and continue to influence the legal world. It is important to look at the history of Habeas Corpus and the role it plays in the law today. The Start of Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus was first introduced in England in 1215 when the Magna Carta was

Discrimination Against High Risk Sex
Words: 7425 Length: 27 Document Type: Research Paper

If police, along with others in society, perceive high risk sex offenders as humans who possess the potential to be rehabilitated, then incidences of possible discrimination against these individuals might decrease. This in turn, the researcher contends, could contribute to incidences of sexual offences being prevented and/or reduced. Even though the researcher never generally cared about how high risk sex offenders felt, the conviction that discrimination is wrong over-rode

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now