Death

Penalty

Definition Death as punishment for a crime called also capital punishment —see also CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTNOTE: The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the death penalt

y is not inherently violative of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, provided that the method is not deemed cruel and that the punishment is not excessive in relation to the crime. A statute mandating the death penalty is unconstitutional, however. A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances before imposing the death penalty for a crime.

Dictionary.com

(as a judicial process)

History• Before any system of punishment was

established, “Blood feud” justice was very common– The term “blood money”– Bartering, compensation

• Capital punishment has been used globally since, well, the beginning of history– In some places, just to get rid of protesters or people

who speak out against the government

Furman v. Georgia• “De facto moratorium”

– Moratorium: “delay or suspension of an activity” (wiki)

• Furman was arrested after an attempted burglary where he shot the house resident– Furman claims to have ‘accidentally’ shot blindly

in one account, then to have tripped on his gun

• This cased led for a Long-term absenceOf the death penalty

I’ll know it when I

see it

Gregg v. Georgia• Attempted to prove the DP isn’t

‘cruel or unusual’• They made a case that “retribution

was in proportion to human dignity”• Jurors still favored the

implementation of the death penalty

Who receives the death penalty?

Money =

Good Lawyer

REDUCED CHARGESLow

Income

JOHN PAUL STEVENSSANDRA DAY O’CONNOR

RUSS FEINGOLD

Death Penalty Statistics (Global)

• 1st China (estimated, 17000—5000) – (Haven’t released official records…)

• 2nd Iran (at least 388)• 3rd Iraq (at least 120)• 4rd Saudi Arabia (at least 69)• 5th United States (52)

(Since 2009)

My Bill:

PURPOSE:ASSIGN QUALIFIED LAWYERSTo DP cases

INJUSTICE

Saving Money!!!More than

$144 million “beyond the

cost of keeping a

prisoner in for life” per year in California

Bibliography

• DPIC• NPR– http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story

.php?storyId=126539134

• Wikipedia• ACLU• Microsoft word• Google images• Dictionary.com