Political Turmoil

Political Turmoil

Introduction

“Capital punishment or the death penalty, is the execution of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offense. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from Latin capitalis, literally "regarding the head" (Latin caput). Hence, a capital crime was originally one punished by the severing of the head.” Execution of criminals and political opponents has been used by nearly all societies—both to punish crime and to suppress political dissent. In most places that practice capital punishment it is reserved for murder, espionage, treason, or as part of military justice. In some countries sexual crimes, such as rape, adultery, incest and sodomy, carry the death penalty. What does the death penalty do? Is it effective? Is it worth the cost? (In, 2009).

Discussion

In United States, Michigan was the first state to ban the death penalty, on May 18, 1846. The death penalty was declared unconstitutional between 1972-1976 based on the Furman v. Georgia case, but the 1976 Gregg v. Georgia case once again permitted the death penalty under certain circumstances. Currently thirty five states plus the US military and Government's permit the death penalty, while fifteen states and the District of Columbia do not. Of the states where the death penalty is permitted, California has the largest number of inmates on death row, while Texas has been the most active in carrying out executions by executing an estimated 1/3 of all executions (McCafferty, 2010). There have been a total of one thousand one hundred and seventy-eight executions with 3297 inmates currently on death row waiting for execution. With no executions in 1976 and a spike of 98 in 1999 it has dropped now to only 42 for this year (In, 2009).

Further limitations were placed on the death penalty in 2002 with Atkins v. Virginia (death penalty unconstitutional for persons with mental retardation) and again in 2005 with Roper v. Simmons (death penalty unconstitutional if defendant was a juvenile when the crime was committed). In the United States, Michigan was the first state to ban the death penalty, on May 18, 1846.

On a larger scale, since 1976 552 executions have occurred in the United States, the breakdown is as follows: 394 by lethal injection, 141 by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, 3 by hanging, and 2 by firing squad. Half of the post 1976 executions have occurred within the last five years, including the 42 so far this year. Although the death penalty has brought many viscous criminals to a “fitting” end, the process by which the death penalty is based upon is an inconsistent one. The system of tangled appeals, court orders, and last minute pardons has rendered the entire system ineffective. As displayed by the swelling of the stagnant pool of death row inmates, criminals are not deterred by the punishment. “ An evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation. Justice is never advanced in the taking of human ...