Death Penalty Research Paper Essay

I. IntroductionThe conclusion punishment in the united States is a constant source of controversy. Efforts to abolish capital penalization in the States date back to over 100 years and continue to aggrandise in stand for-day. In addition, all 50 rural areas vary in their safekeeping and application of the shoemakers last penalization. Currently, the cobblers last penalization is legal in 32 avers, the distribution of the actual capital punishments however, is quite wide. The five states with the highest number of carrying into actions performed account for virtually 65% of the total executions in the country since the US Supreme flirt re-affirmed and reinstated the decease penalty in 1976. The state of Texas alone is responsible for c put down to 37% of the countrys executions. In contrast, 14 states break penalise five or fewer prisoners since 1976.II. History Since the early societies, capital punishment has been employ as a order of crime deterrence.Historica l recital show that the all the same the most primitives tribes utilized methods of punishing culprits that often include taking their lives in order to pay for the crimes they committed. Murder most often warranted this ultimate form of punishment.As tribal societies formed social classes and man-kind veritable its own self-governed republics, capital punishment became a usual response to a variety of crimes, such as sexual assault, military offenses and treason. Written rules were created to racy the people of the penalties that could face them should they participate in whatever wrongdoing. One of the earliest indite documents observed that supported the destruction penalty was the Code of Hammurabi, written on stone tablets around 1760 BC. The code contained approximately 282 laws that were proposed by the Babylonian King Hammurabi and included the theory of an eye for an eye. Several other ancient documents were also supportive of the death penalty these included the Ch ristian venerable Testament, the Jewish Torah, and the writing of Athenian legislator Draco, who was a proponent of capital punishment for a overlarge number of offenses in Ancient Greece.The earliest forms of the death penalty were int remaindered to be painful, slow and torturous. Some ancient cultures industrious methods of crucifixion, stoning, and being burned at the stake among others. Later civilizations found these methods to be deplorable, unusual forms of punishment and thus opted for more than humane practices. During the 18th and nineteenth centuries, legislators found less painful and faster approaches to execution, which included beheading by the guillotine and hanging. These practices were typically large public spectacles and were not every less bloody or violent but death was nearly always instantaneous, so they were perceived as being more compassionate.III. In the United StatesCapital penalization in the United States dates back to the launch of the o riginal colonies, and was apply for a variety of crimes such as burglary, treason, counterfeiting and murder. During the Ameri shadower Revolution, legislators in the United States began to examine and revise policies behind the death penalty. In 1971, the constitution was amended to prohibit any form of punishment deemed cruel and unusual. Although the amendment did not intend to ban capital punishment, it did start a relocation towards performing more human executions. Currently, 32 states in the US admit the death penalty, although the greatest number of death dustup stings and actual executions pass by in save a few of those. California is the state with the largest death language population of 625 inpatients, but they do not perform executions frequently. In fact, in the last three years, still two people have been put to death. In contrast is Texas, sequence also having a large number of offenders on death course of study (453), Texas follows through with execution s, executing more people each year than any other state. Their executions constitute 46% of all executions performed in the year 2002.IV. EligibilityEligibility for the death penalty and determining what criteria qualifies a crime for the death penalty varies by jurisdictions. No automatic reprove exists for any crime. The death penalty is assigned to crimes that contain aggravating factors, and argon monstrous or horrific in nature. Examples of aggravating factors include intentional, premeditate murder, and murder that results from the commission of certain violent felonies such as robbery, rape, kidnapping, burglary and arson, even if the death results as an accident. These vary by state and in few the list of aggravating factors is lengthy and not strong defined which can mean a lot of crimes can potentially be categorize as capital. Prosecutors of the jurisdiction in which the crime has occurred make the decision of whether to desire the death penalty in each good exampl e. Critics allege that prosecutors be influenced to  lot factors when pursuance the death penalty that should not be relevant, such as the race of the victim and offender, for example. Community and public outrage as hygienic as media attention can also impact the process of seeking the death penalty. (Marcus, 2007)V. TrialsTrials for death penalty cases differ from other trials in that they ar more intensive, expensive and lots more complicated, after all, the outcome could end or spare somewhatones aliveness. They attract wide-spread and some quantifys centripetal media attention that can become distracting and unfavorable for the defendant as well as the other parties involved in the case. Political and public squeeze is placed on the judge and prosecutors to secure a conviction and death sentence. Defense lawyers too face a great deal of wardrobe to save their clients lives. Another aspect of capital case trials that sets them apart from regular cases is the selec tion of the jury. Potential jurors in capital cases essential undergo a somewhat extensive process before being qualified to participate. The most important criteria they must meet however roll around the individuals personal views on the death penalty. Qualified jurors must be in support of capital punishment and willing to impose it, those that cannot remain by that requirement are excused from jury service.Capital trials are separated into two sections, in the setoff only demo and defence forces are heard, this is referred to as the delinquency cast. At the close of the guilt phase while the jury does not yet deliberate about a sentence, they do however decide to convict or acquit the defendant. Should the defendant be convicted, the penalty phase of the trial begins, during this phase the jury hears arguments and evidence concerning sentencing preferences. At this time, prosecutors will argue for a death sentence and must present aggravating factors associated with the crime. They will also attempt to stir the jury apart from feelings of sympathy for the defendant, by stating past criminal charges or lack of regret about the crime. In contrast, defense lawyers will argue against the death penalty, nerve-racking to persuade the jury to sentence their clients to life imprisonment instead.To do this, defense attorneys introduce mitigating factors such as the defendants age, absence of a criminal record, relationships with family members, and character. In some cases, they may use evidence that could still understanding of why the defendant committed the crime, some examples being mental illness, abuse or neglect as a child, etc. sometimes family and friends of the defendant can testify for them, this is also permitted for families of the victim, which often take this time to speak about their loss and state their preference for a life or death sentence. After all evidence has been presented and following any testimonies, the jury is excused to deliberate once more, this time deciding on a sentence.VI. AppealsThe idea of swift justice is thought to be preoccupied in capital punishment cases. Usually, it takes several years from the time a person is convicted of a crime to the actual execution. One of the aspects of death penalty cases that make them so extensive is the appeals process. Generally, following conviction, a defendant has the chastise to an automatic or direct appeal to the state appellate court. Courts are required by law to look at these cases. Evidence presented in a direct appeal is very limited, typically dealing with whether objections were bear on or overruled correctly. Within a year of the direct appeal, death row inmates must file again in order to secure their rights, ill luck to do so would mean the defendant has chosen to waive their appeals. incompetence on the part of an attorney or lack of one has resulted in many death row defendants missing appeal deadlines, while some may not even be a ware of this procedural right. on that call for is no second opportunity to file for an appeal once the deadline has been missed, disregarding of the circumstances.The next step in the appeals process is referred to as state post-conviction. The defendant will use this appeal to present any state extreme claims and any evidence to challenge their conviction. Some of the more prevalent claims do in post-conviction appeals include improper and unprofessional conduct on behalf of the police or prosecution, race discrimination, mishandling or inconsideration of pertinent evidence and forgetful representation on behalf of the defense attorney. Evidence that has been newly discovered or was not available at the time of trial is admissible during this phase of the appeals process. Post-conviction relief is not easy to obtain, an in-depth investigation of the case and all evidence from the trial must be conducted by the defense lawyers. This can be expensive, time consuming and f or the many inexperienced and unfortunately-resourced lawyers that represent these types of inmates, it becomes a ambitious task.The inability of the defense counsel to provide sufficient mitigating factors and thoroughly investigate a case is the most prevailing failure observed in capital punishment cases. While it is true that many defendants receive piteous representation, it is very difficult to obtain relief based on otiose legal assistance. If the court determines that the defendant would have been convicted and sentenced to death regardless of poor legal representation, then there is no entitlement to relief. Should a death row inmate be denied relief in post-state conviction, he can advance with a final appeal which is now handled by Federal courts, this is referred to as federal habeas. When a defendant has exhausted all appeals, the last option is to ask for clemency from the governor or President, depending on if it is a state or federal death penalty case. Clemenc y has been known to only be granted in extraordinary cases and is becoming more and more uncommon. (capitalpunishmentincontext.org)VII. Methods 1. Lethal InjectionToday, all of the states that have the death penalty utilise the lethal- pellet. Oklahoma became the first state to adopt this method of execution in 1977, with the first person being executed by lethal injection being Charles Brooks 5 years later in 1977. (deathpenaltyinfo.org) In preparation, the inmate to be executed is permitted a shower, a change of clothe and a final meal of their choice. At the time of the execution, the prisoner is interpreted to the execution room and where two IV tubes are inserted into his arms, following, a right saline solution is started immediately. Then, when the prison warden gives signal, a curtain is raised exposing the inmate to witnesses in an adjoining room.At this time the prison is booked his final statement. At the conclusion of the inmates last words, the execution begins wit h the medicines being administered as follows Sodium thiopental This drug, also known as Pentathol is a barbiturate used as a surgical anesthetic. In surgery, a dose of up to 150mg is used. In execution, up to 5,000 mg are used. This is a lethal dose. From this point on if the prisoner is still alive, he should feel nothing. Pancuronium bromide in addition known as Pavulon, this is a muscle relaxant precondition in a strong enough dose to paralyse the diaphragm and lungs. This drug takes effect in 1-3 minutes. A normal medical dose is 40 100mcg per kilogram the dose delivered in an execution is up to 100mg.Potassium chloride This is a toxic agent which induces cardiac arrest. Not all states use this as the first two drugs are sufficient to bring about death. saline solution is used to flush the IV between each dose. A minute or two after the final dose is administered, a doctor declares the prisoner dead. The body is then sent to the coroner for verification, an promethium i s sometimes performed. Finally, the body is released to family for burial. 2. Electric ChairThe electric chair was an concept by Harold P. Brown who was an employee of Thomas Edison, the sole purpose was to investigate the uses of electrical energy in executions. The chair was first adopted in 1889 and the first execution took place in 1890 in New York. In execution by electric chair, the prisoner is strapped to the chair with metal straps and a wet scrub is placed in his head to aid conductivity. Electrodes are placed on the head and legs to create a closed circuit. Depending on the physical state of the prisoner, two sures of varying take and duration are applied. This is generally 2,000 volts for 15 seconds for the first current to origin unconsciousness and to stop the heart.The second current is usually lowered to 8 amps. The current will normally cause severe damage to internal organs and the body can modify up to 138 F While unconsciousness should occur within the first second or two, there have been occasions where it has taken much longer, leading people to highly oppose this method of execution. Clean up post-execution is unpleasant, skin has been found melted on the electrodes and the person can lose control of bodily functions, burning of the skin occurs often. 3. Firing Squad legion(predicate) consider the firing squad to be the most honorable method of execution. The carrying out of firing squad executions can vary, but generally the inmate is blindfolded and restrained. A group of men then fire a single bullet into the heart of the condemned. In some cases, one of the shooters is given a blank in order to feel less guilt afterwards. However, none of the shooters know who features the blank, or if any of them do. Currently in the US, only two states are permitted performing of executions using this method Idaho and Oklahoma.4. Gas chamberThe gas chamber as a method of execution has been used in a considerable number of cases. It was f irst made habitual from its use in German prison camps during World War II where it was used to execute millions in one of the worst genocide cases of the twentieth century. Although five states in the US still allow its use, death row inmates in all of those states are given the option to choose the lethal injection instead. In gas chamber executions, the executioner prepares the chamber by placing potassium cyanide pellets into a small compartment beneath the execution chair. The prisoner is then brought in and secured to the chair.The chamber is sealed and the executioner pours a measurement of concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) through a tube which leads to a holding compartment in the chair. The curtains are drawn back for witnesses to see the execution and the prisoner is asked to make his last statement. After the last statement, a level is thrown by the executioner and the acid mixes with the cyanide pellets generating lethal henry cyanide (HCN) gas. The prisoners will ge nerally have been told to take deep breaths in order to speed up unconsciousness, but in most cases they hold their breath. Death from hydrogen cyanide is painful and unpleasant. (aclu.org) (clarkprosecutor.org)VIII. DeterrenceIn American society, deterrence has always served as a justification for support of the death penalty. Numerous studies conducted have failed to indicate a conclusive deterrence effect. For ex, if the death penalty was truly a crime deterrent, then the states that do not have the death penalty would be expected to have high murder rates. However, it is just the opposite, states that do not employ the death penalty show consistently lower murder rates. In addition, the United States importantly higher murder rates than European countries who do not allow the death penalty. (Fagan)IX. ConclusionOverpowering evidence leads to the conclusion that the death penalty system in the United States is broken and undeniably flawed. Incompetency in representation, racial prejudice, inadequate funding and human mistake all conduce to a dark reality of the death penalty that is wrongful convictions and inequity. In a system teeming with error, the risk of executing the innocent is authentic. put right in our death penalty process and procedures is necessary and urgent. It is our provocation to accomplishment towards a systematic change that will guarantee fairness and pit access to justice, due process for all persons facing the death penalty.References1. http//www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/2. https//www.aclu.org/capital-punishment/execution-methods 3. capital of Minnesota Marcus, 2007. William & Mary Law School. Capital Punishment in the United States, and Beyond.http//scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1068&context=facpubs 4. http//www.capitalpunishmentincontext.org/resources/dpappealsprocess 5. Jeffrey A. Fagan. Columbia Law School. Capital Punishment Deterrence Effects and Capital Costs. http//www.law.columbia.edu/law_school/c ommunications/reports/summer06/capitalpunish