Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment

Introduction

In the United States there have been many hangings during the Salem Witch trials, and as years went by capital punishment was less horrid and somewhat more "humane" compared to in the past. Although it is less gruesome, capital punishment is not an effective form of punishment and therefore it should be removed from the justice system. Out of the many factors that play a role in capital punishment and why it is ineffective, innocence, deterrence, and cost are a few.

Side A Argument

According to my point of view, most of the people are against capital punishment because innocent people get executed. Capital Punishment also has its negative effects. Life custody without parole serves the same reasons as capital punishment at less cost without the contest of whether it's right or wrong. Also, with capital punishment there is the chance of killing an innocent person. The poor and minorities have less money to spend on a good lawyer, so they are more at risk for an unfair trial. Although some citizens feel capital punishment is ethically wrong, it is not necessary in today's society for various reasons. (The Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment: www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.uk)

Innocence plays an important role in capital punishment (Banner, 2002), it makes capital punishment ineffective because occasionally the justice system can be incorrect and an innocent person can be put to death. Then later on it is determined due to DNA testing that it was in fact, someone else who had committed the crime and an innocent person had lost their life for no mistake of their own. From 1967 until 1972, the United States Supreme Court debated on whether or not capital punishment is constitutional. On June 29, 1972, the Court ruled that a death penalty is unconstitutional because in some cases it can go ...