Death Penalty :: essays research papers

DEATH PENALTY The remnant penalty has been a staple in the justice system of Americasince its inception. Though very controversial, it has stood the leaven of time asthe ultimate punishment. Many countries are currently abolishing their devastationpenalty practice. America, on the other hand, has thirty-eight of fifty stateswith laws regarding the demise penalty. It seems the United States requires thedeath penalty more than ever due to the increased rate of violent crime. Since 19 ninety more than three hundred fifty people contrive been put to deathwith another three thousand three hundred in the waiting on death row. On alarger scale, since nineteen seventy-six five hundred fifty-two executions consideroccurred in the United States, the breakdown is as follows three hundredninety-four by lethal injection, superstar hundred forty-one by electrocution, elevenby gas chamber, three by hanging, and two by firing squad. Half of the post-nineteen seventy-six executions have occu rred within the last five years,including fifty-two so far this year. Although the death penalty has broughtmany viscous criminals to a fitting end, the process by which the deathpenalty is based upon is an inconsistent one. The system of tangled appeals,court orders, and last minute pardons has rendered the entire systemineffective. As displayed by the swelling of the stagnant crime syndicate of death rowinmates, criminals are not deterred by the punishment. An evil deed is notredeemed by an evil deed of retaliation. Justice is never right in thetaking of human life. Morality is never upheld by legalized murder. Many loopholes exist in the structure of the death penalty. Theoutcome of the case is decided by the quality of the lawyer defending theaccused. Many criminals cannot afford a competent lawyer, resulting in agreater chance of that particular person being issued the death penalty, asopposed to life in prison. A fine line separates these two charges, and adefendant who can afford a competent lawyer stands less of a chance of beingassigned the death penalty than one who cannot. Also studies show that theapplication of the death penalty is racial biased. The amount of money of violentcrimes are split almost equally between the white and black ethnic groups. Since nineteen seventy-seven eighty-two percent of the criminals assigned thedeath penalty have committed the crime in question against a Caucasian. Another glaring defect of the structure of the death penalty system in Americaare the laws regarding the sentencing of criminals under the age of eighteen. Minors can be sentenced to death in twenty-four states.