My second major reason for holding my position against the death penalty is that death penalty experts are even against the idea of capital punishment. A 2009 study by Matthew B. Robinson surveyed 45 death penalty experts on their opinions on specific topics. In order to gain accurate opinions, Robinson needed to establish a definition of the term “expert”. He developed the following definition, “a capital punishment expert is a person with a high degree of knowledge of capital punishment, is widely recognized as a reliable source of knowledge due to prolonged experience through practice and education related to the death penalty, and whose judgment is accorded authority and status by the public or their peers” (Robinson, 2009, p.6-7). After …show more content…
The second question asked whether capital punishment achieved deterrence, and only 9% said yes while 79% said no; they stated that the main reason deterrence does not work is because the executions are extremely rare relative to the number of murders (Robinson, 2009, p.13-14). The third question asked whether capital punishment achieves incapacitation (“prevents future murders by killing murderers who would murder again”), and 64% of experts said yes, yet 24% said no; yet those who said yes stated that incapacitation means the murderers won’t murder again and therefore do not need to be executed (Robinson, 2009, p.14). The fourth question asked whether the death penalty was racially biased and 84% said yes; racial bias does not pertain to the offender but the victim, and killers of white victims are more likely to be executed than killers of black victims (Robinson, 2009, p.15-16). The sixth question asked whether capital punishment has ever been used against the innocent, and 76% said yes while only 2% said no; the Death Penalty Information Center and the Innocence Project both have lists of wrongly accused (Robinson, 2009, p.17). The eighth question asked who supported and who opposed the death penalty, and 80% said they opposed it
Witnesses at the Century Aurora 16 complex said minutes into the special midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” on July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado, James Holmes had slipped through an emergency exit door of the sold-out movie theater, propped it open, and returned armed with three guns and wearing a ballistic helmet, body shields, a gas mask obscuring his face, his hair tinted orange. He tossed two hissing gas or smoke canisters and calmly walked up the aisle open firing at moviegoers, killing 12 and wounding 70. Arrested without resistance while he was standing next to his car behind the Century 16 theater shortly after the shooting and jailed without bail awaiting trial, James Holmes was described by law-enforcement officials as
1) The reason why the death penalty in Florida was determined to be unconstitutional were due to the U.S. Supreme Court believing judges had too much power in deciding whether someone should be sentenced to death, or receive the lesser penalty of life. Legislators decided to require only ten out of twelve jurors to agree imposing a death sentence in regard to capital criminal cases, when the law was changed earlier this year. While Florida legislators believed their system was rational, the state's high court opposed. The U.S. Supreme Court declared in January that judges had too much say in sentencing someone to death, when constitutionally it was the jury alone.
Even though the death penalty can produce irreversible miscarriage of justice, death penalty should be allowed because it provides comfort to the victim's family, it deters crime, and you know the criminal will never hurt anyone again. Even though the death penalty can produce irreversible miscarriages of justice, Death penalty should be allowed because it provides comfort to the victim's family. Family and friends of the victims should never have to worry about parole or a slight chance of that same criminal escaping. Knowing that that one person
Nathanson uses his essay, Does It Matter If the Death Penalty Is Arbitrarily Administered, to combat the notion that capital punishment is an effective outcome for criminals. It is my goal to propose that capital punishment in itself is as fair outcome, and point out that it should remain established as long as the ones sentencing criminals to this fate are held to higher, more fair standards. The driving force behind Nathanson’s argument against capital punishment is statistics. While no one comes forth to outright say that race plays an important role in the decision on who receives capital punishment, there are statistical findings put forth by Bowers and Pierce state that killers of whites have the highest chance of being executed
Radeler and Traci L. Locock conducted their own research. They titled it “Do Executions Lower Homicide Rates?” In 2008 they sent questions to some of the top criminologist and one of the questions found that “eighty-nine percent of the criminologist don’t think that the death penalty is effective.” (Radeler , Locock 2009 pg. 501). The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is one of the key fighters trying to get rid of the death penalty.
As with many other controversial opinions both groups for, and against capital punishment have valid opinions. So let's dive into the philosophy of both sides and an
Interestingly they also found that the majority of whites surveyed expressed a high resistance to beliefs that the death penalty is racially unfair or caused by structural oppression, nor is that the system is racially biased. Instead they believe that it is because they (racialized groups— specifically Blacks), deserve it. Therefore proving that the implementation of the the death penalty is a result of public
If the cold-blooded killing of thousands does not lower premeditated murder, there is really no point (because let 's face it, the saying “eye for an eye” is childish and socially unacceptable). This same conclusion was agreed upon in a recent poll by almost 90% of the world’s criminological societies (Facts About the Death Penalty). However in all honesty, the argument against the death penalty doesn’t just stop at its redundancy, but also its
From the early days after Davis snatched Polly from a Petaluma slumber party, Klaas has been a highly visible advocate for strong laws to protect the public, especially children, from career criminals and predators like Davis. He had come to the San Francisco Chronicle with other opponents of Proposition 34, the ballot measure that would end California 's death penalty and resentence California 's 700-plus death row inmates to life without parole. (Saunders) A man snatched a girl from a slumber party. He should not be killed and just get out of it, he should live a suffering life in prison.
While there are far more subjects to discuss regarding to this issue, I feel it necessary to state that I believe the death penalty should exist in a perfect society. I believe that certain crimes and certain situations warrant the punishment of death. However, the our society is not perfect. The justice system has failed to fairly use this punishment in far too many instances, and concludes that they cannot justly wield this
The topic of capital punishment presents a test of values. The arguments in support of and opposition to the death penalty are complex. In the end, this is a question of an individual’s values and morals. The topic requires careful thought to reach a reasoned position. Both sides of the argument are defensible.
In conclusion the idea that the death penalty should be abolished can be supported by many reasons that include extensive evidence. With the death penalty still established we are putting innocent people's lives at risk, spending millions, and continue with racial segregation. The idea that someone's opinion in court can decide the fate of another person is
Reading Commentary My first source is an article from the Daily Mirror dated from the 31/08/15. The Mirror is a well known newspaper so I considered it to be a reliable source, however it is very biased. The writer uses large amounts of ‘emotive language’ and only comment on one point of view as they include no counter arguments due to the writers only regarding one side of the argument in attempt to persuade the reader to agree with their ideas prevent the reader from making their own.
Although political orientations varied among all participants, all concluded that they would not be bothered by the demolition of capital punishment. This study did not test a theory or hypothesis rather research questions were
Death Penalty According to the 2010 Gallup Poll, 64% of the United State of America are supporting the death penalty, I as an American am part of that 36% that is against it. I do not believe that we as human being should determine whether another person should live or die. A second reason that I am against the death penalty is for the reason that the accused person could be innocent and normally the accused person only has one court presentation and is only judged by the judge not a jury of their peer, and is sent to death row where they pay for a crime that they haven’t done. My final reason that i do not believe that the death penalty should count as a punishment for the American people is because, a person that has done a massive massacre shouldn’t just be able to leave the world just like that without paying and suffering for what they have done, Or should the death punishment continue as it is for it has a great benefit to us as citizens of the United States.