Capital punishment
Capital punishment is defined as the execution of a criminal by the state. In simpler form: legalized murder. This is an extravagant public policy that produces virtually no benefit. Violence of all kinds has become a part of our cultural routine. The death penalty only encourages vengeance as a way to overcome grief. Does it really provide satisfactory closure for the victim? Since 1976, when the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty to be a legitimate form of punishment, there have been 697 people executed in the United States (Barry 1). Capital punishment is practiced in thirty-seven of the fifty states (Bedau 1). The United States, which has always taken a strong stand in fairness, needs to reevaluate their criminal justice system. Capital Punishment does not benefit society, the economy, or the legal system itself. Most people assume that a life-imprisonment sentence is more expensive than capital punishment. However, when all relevant costs are taken into account, the reverse is true. Capital murder trials drag on much longer than those without the death penalty. Legislation cost build up quickly, due to the numerous appeals and execution dates. The time of the judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and court
Morrow, Lance. "Why I Changed My Mind on the Death Penalty." Time.com 3 May 2000. 20 Large numbers of people that have been sentenced to death are later proven innocent and gain a pardon from death row. Since 1973, there have been 87 people in the United States that have been freed from the death penalty due to an acquittal or verdict of not guilty (Bedau 4). Death is a decision that cannot be reversed. It is often a permanent answer to a temporary problem. Our courts should be proved incapable of error before permitted to carry out such irreversible sentences. The United States ruled in Herrera vs. Collins that it is constitutional to execute an innocent individual, as long as they had a fair trial (Morrow 1). Even in the fairest of trials the verdict can still be wrong. Take into consideration the possibility of committing further murder by taking the life of another as innocent as the original victim. Beth McVay once wrote, "When we accept the responsibility of killing the killers, we, as a result, become them" (Rohatyn 1). Are we going to allow s! Barry, John. "Is the Death Penalty Cruel and Unusual?" Speakout.com 3 May 2000. 20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ociety itself to become guilty of premeditated murder? For every case where an innocent man or woman is executed, it provides justification as to why the death penalty should not exist. Granted, some people may still be wrongfully sentenced to life i
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Approximate Word count = 998
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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