Capital Punishment Fair Or Unfair Essay - 1881 Words

The most severe form of punishment of all legal sentences is that of death. This is referred to as the death penalty, or â€Å"capital punishment†; this is the most severe form of corporal punishment, requiring law enforcement officers to actually kill the offender. It has been banned in numerous countries, in the United States, however an earlier move to eliminate capital punishment has now been reversed and more and more states are resorting to capital punishment for such serious offenses namely murder. â€Å"Lex talionis†, mentioned by the Bible encourages â€Å"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth† mentality, and people have been using it regularly for centuries. We use it in reference to burglary, adultery, and various other situations, although,†¦show more content†¦(Horwitz, 124-127) Four major issues in capital punishment are debated, most aspects of which were touched upon by Seton Hall’s panel discussion on the death penalty. The first issue stands as deterrence. A major purpose of criminal punishment is to conclude future criminal conduct. The deterrence theory suggests that a rational person will avoid criminal behavior if the severity of the punishment outweighs the benefits of the illegal conduct. It is believed that fear of death â€Å"deters† people from committing a crime. Most criminals would think twice before committing murder if they knew their own lives were at stake. When attached to certain crimes, the penalty of death exerts a positive moral influence, placing a stigma on certain crimes like manslaughter, which results in attitudes of horror to such acts. Studies of the deterrent effect of the death penalty have been conducted for nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; several years, with varying results. Most studies have failed to produce evidence that the death penalty deterred murders more effectively then the threat of imprisonment. The reason for this is that few people are executed and so the death penalty is not a satisfactory deterrent. If capital punishment were carried outShow MoreRelatedCapital Punishment1534 Words   |  7 PagesThe death penalty has been around for many centuries and will probably be around for many to come. Although some citizens feel capital punishment is ethically wrong, it is necessary in today s society for various reasons. Society must be kept safe from the barbaric acts of murders and rapist, by taking away their lives to function and perform in our society. Most criminals don t take into account the results of their actions. If a person intending to commit a crime, sees another criminal put toRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified858 Words   |  4 PagesSince the foundation of our nation the Death Penalty has been a way to punish prisoners that have committed heinous crimes, however since the turn of the 20th century the practice of Capital Punishment has been questioned on its usage in America and the world as a whole. The Death Penalty is used in America to punish criminals who have committed murders, or taken the life of an innocent person, and while the death penalty seems like it is doing justice to those who have killed others it is actuallyRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Be Legalized1229 Words   |  5 Pagesdeath penalty needs to be completely abolished. Their view is that is is inhuman e and constitutionally unjustified. On the other hand many believe it is a source of deterrence and is the only just punishment for some crimes. When it comes down to it, the death penalty deters crime, is a fair and just punishment, and restores justice. I believe the death penalty should be legalized throughout the entire country. The death penalty has been around for a long time. It has been recorded as being around asRead More Capital Punishment In The United States Essay examples1586 Words   |  7 PagesCapital Punishment in the United States Executive Summary Capital punishment has been around for many years as a way of executing criminals. Despite what most believe, capital punishment is not functional in the American society. Defenders of the death penalty often claim that the execution of criminals will teach others not to do bad, initially decreasing crime rates. Unfortunately, statistics prove that thought to be wrong. Capital punishment also has great flaws. For example, many innocentRead MoreThe Flawed Nature Of Our Justice System Essay1367 Words   |  6 Pages This belief often stems from the violent world they are shown every day in the news. Understandably they hear and see these violent crimes and think that extreme punishments must be given for extreme crimes. Despite this, 37% of Americans oppose the death penalty (Gallop). These people often argue that not only does capital punishment fail to solve the growing crime problem in the U.S., but that innocent people can be executed in the pursuit of justice. This is certainly t rue; not even supportersRead MoreTruman Capote s A Cold Blood Makes A Great Case For Justice1719 Words   |  7 Pagesare involved in the case is unquestionably too short. However, is the death penalty fair for both of them, considering Dick had a mental disorder and Perry had a terrible upbringing? This brings us to a bigger, broader question: to what extent does the law and judgement system achieve their main purpose: bringing justice to everyone? One of the two murderers in the book, Richard Hickock, says about capital punishment: â€Å"[†¦]. Revenge is all it is, but what’s wrong with revenge? It’s very important. [†¦]†Read MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Illegal1563 Words   |  7 Pages Why Capital Punishment should be illegal The Constitution that governs our laws in America is there to protect all of its people and that include the criminals that are on death row. The death penalty materially violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment, the guarantees of due process of law, and of equal protection under the law. This is the reason why capital punishment should be illegal in all fifty states. We believe that the states should not give itself the rightRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Illegal1613 Words   |  7 Pages Why Capital Punishment should be illegal? The Constitution that governs our laws in America is there to protect all of the people and that includes the criminals that are on death row. The death penalty materially violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment, the guarantees of due process of law, and of equal protection under the law. (Bedau, Hugo Adam, The Case Against the Death Penalty) This is the reason why capital punishment should be illegal in all fifty statesRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty844 Words   |  4 PagesMany people argue that the death penalty is justified because it is a fair and equal punishment for the crimes committed and that the murdered should receive fair and equal punishment in order to have justice. It is often assumed that murders should be punished by death, but isn’t it true that ending or killing anyone is morally wrong? In this counter argument I will argue that nobody has the right to take anybodys life no matter what and if murderers deserve to die, the state does not have theRead MoreEssay on Fair Punishment and the Death Penalty739 Words   |  3 PagesFair Punishment and the Death Penalty 94 federal attorneys have the power to submit a case to Janet Reno (Willing 3A). These attorneys seek the death penalty for these cases, and why should they not? Whys should one who has taken a life, or even several, deserve the air that they breathe? Capital punishment is a harsh punishment created for people who have committed harsh crimes. The death penalty should be used to punish violent criminals. Some believe that capital punishment is unfair