Capital Punishment in the United States

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Capital Punishment in the United States

Introduction

The Capital punishment is one of the oldest methods of penalty for the offenses and crimes. The key distinctive aspect that defines the idea of the capital punishment is the most severe punishment enforceable by the State in the public interest and only by a court. An individual who is found convicted and given capital punishment doesn't only one who suffers but the family of the verdict also suffers the pain (Fridell, 2004).

Capital punishment as a sentence proceeded by a long period of trial in which the defendant has the opportunity to challenge the court's decision by submitting an appeal. Often this leads to the fact that sentenced to death an individual can wait for the execution for years. The Capital punishment is still applied in many countries, including developed nations such as United States (Connors, 2007). In America, the capital punishment is permissible for those who do serious crimes i.e. murder, high jacking etc. This trend can be most clearly seen in the United States, where the convict waits for the final judgment and brings it into action for usually not less than ten years.

Background

The history of the capital punishment in the United States dates back to the colonial period. It is thought that the practice of this form of punishment was brought to the New World by colonists from Europe. In the United States, this kind of punishment was first carried out in 1608 in Jamestown -Virginia in respect of Captain George Kendall. He was accused of spying for the Spanish government which resulted in his punishment (Ogletree & Sarat, 2009).

In the modern world, in spite of picking up the speed of democratization and globalization, many states continue to practice this form of punishment. Therefore,; according to a United Nations report in the year 2007, more than 140 countries stop the use of such inhumane ways of punishment (Ogletree & Sarat, 2009). The Western countries live in the judicial system more tolerant than ever. The capital punishment was excluded in most of the democratic nations, or exists only as a legal thought that never applies. The movement against the capital punishment gained the cause; the debate is over and avenged a certain common sense that sees the capital punishment as an archaism exceeded.

Though, the historical arguments extend in too many states that simply have stopped the capital punishment. In such states, there has been no major increase in crimes, which seems a good argument against those who defend the rationality of capital punishment as a deterrent. Thus, it would seem that some criminals condemned to death in this manner and would not bring any social benefit, since it does not decrease crimes. In general calculations, some advantages and disadvantages of capital punishment would not only to fight crime but it could be the basis for some irreparable injustice (Connors, 2007).

Discussion

The capital punishment, both in America and all around the world, is unfair and is used ...