It is obviously the most severe form of criminal punishment. (Bedau1)

Capital punishment is a controversial way of dealing with violent

criminals. The main alternative to the death penalty is life in

prison. Capital punishment has been around for thousands of years as a

means of eradicating criminals. A giant debate started between

supporters and opposers of execution, over the morality and

effectiveness of the death penalty. The supporters claim that if you

take a life you should pay with your life or "an eye for an eye".

Opposers of the death penalty bring up the chance of sentencing the

innocent and how the death penalty is inhumane. The purpose of this

paper is to examine the process of capital punishment and the moral

viewpoints on the death penalty. The first evidence of capital

punishment is from Hammurabi's code, a book of Babylonian law, from

1700BC. The Bible mentions that execution should be used for many

crimes. (Bedau1) One example of the death penalty in the bible is

"Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death." (Exodus

21:12). The bible also suggests stoning a woman if she unmarried s

(CD-ROM) Microsoft Corporation, 1996.

appeal is taken to the Intermediate Appellate Courts (state) or the US

about three minutes or until he appears to be dead. The fact that the

recognized as punishable by death. (Bedau2) It was not long before

1. Bedau, Hugo Adam "Capital Punishment" Encarta 96 Encyclopedia

prisoners during the appeals process.

accepted means of execution are: electrocution, the gas chamber,

After learning about our modern methods of execution one

true and is the most vital argument of the opposers. Wealth and fame

erred in some way. If the appeal is granted In the state court system

injection is thought to be the least painful method of execution. The

appeal. Even if a suspect is sentenced to a crime the case may be

(CD-ROM) Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc. 1995.

the head and a leg. Pulses of 2000 volts are sent through his body for

Some common words found in the essay are:
Bedau1 Capital, Bible Whosoever, Morin Needles, Hampshire Washington, Supreme Court, Louisiana Texas, District Courts, Johnny Cochran, Bedau2 Contrary, death penalty, Courts Appeals, capital punishment, death row, supreme court, dealing violent criminals, violent criminals, guernsey 59, firing squad, inmates death, appeals process, oppose death, inmates death row, oppose death penalty,
Approximate Word count = 1364
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)