Historical Background
The centuries old penalty, capital punishment has been implemented various times, in various ways, and for various reasons. The medieval burning-at-the-stake of heretics and witches, the old western hanging of criminal outlaws, and the Revolutionary guillotine are just some of the ways capital punishment has been exectuted (haha).
Today, the death penalty is a hot button issue for many; the fundamental question of the government's right to remove its citizens' right to life has been contested for years.
Arguments against capital punishment include victims' innocence being proven after said victim was executed (and the potential for corruption in convictions including bias of race and wealth affecting sentencing), the cruel and unusual punishment clause in the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution, evidence that the death penalty has not and will not deter crime rates, and the idea that the government punishing murderers by killing them is hypocritical.
In response to this, proponents of capital punishment argue that without so severe a punishment, people will commit whatever crimes they wish. In addition, the case for the death penalty includes that committing felonies is a matter of free will and thus criminals have chose their fate, that the death penalty prevents murderers from continuing to murder, that it saves millions of dollars in taxpayer dollars by keeping felons out of the United States Prison System.
Today, the death penalty is a hot button issue for many; the fundamental question of the government's right to remove its citizens' right to life has been contested for years.
Arguments against capital punishment include victims' innocence being proven after said victim was executed (and the potential for corruption in convictions including bias of race and wealth affecting sentencing), the cruel and unusual punishment clause in the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution, evidence that the death penalty has not and will not deter crime rates, and the idea that the government punishing murderers by killing them is hypocritical.
In response to this, proponents of capital punishment argue that without so severe a punishment, people will commit whatever crimes they wish. In addition, the case for the death penalty includes that committing felonies is a matter of free will and thus criminals have chose their fate, that the death penalty prevents murderers from continuing to murder, that it saves millions of dollars in taxpayer dollars by keeping felons out of the United States Prison System.
Capital Punishment and the Supreme Court
Wilkersom v. Utah (1879): Execution by a firing squad does not qualify as cruel and unusual punishment.
Furman v. Georgia (1972):Created a requirement for consistency of the application of the death penalty
Godfrey v. Georgia (1980): Death penalty is not allowed for committing an ordinary murder
Glass v. Louisiana (1985): The electric chair does not violate the eighth amendment
Ford v. Wainright(1986): Execution of an insane person violates the eighth amendment.
Penry v. Lynaugh(1989): Executing people with mental retardation does not violate the eighth amendment
Atkins v. Virginia (2002): Execution of a person with mental retardation does violate eighth amendment.
Kennedy v. Louisiana(2008): States can't impose a death penalty for crimes where a victim's life was not taken.
Furman v. Georgia (1972):Created a requirement for consistency of the application of the death penalty
Godfrey v. Georgia (1980): Death penalty is not allowed for committing an ordinary murder
Glass v. Louisiana (1985): The electric chair does not violate the eighth amendment
Ford v. Wainright(1986): Execution of an insane person violates the eighth amendment.
Penry v. Lynaugh(1989): Executing people with mental retardation does not violate the eighth amendment
Atkins v. Virginia (2002): Execution of a person with mental retardation does violate eighth amendment.
Kennedy v. Louisiana(2008): States can't impose a death penalty for crimes where a victim's life was not taken.
Sources
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_decisions_on_capital_punishment