History of THe Capital Punishment Essay - 714 Words

The capital punishment, known as the death penalty has been a widely debated topic in America over its constitutionality after being reinstated in 1976. There are two distinct sides in the debate over whether the death penalty is an unjust punishment. The debate spreads over to whether mentally ill and juveniles should be tried as adults and receive the death penalty or if their mental capacity restrains the government from issuing the punishment. Not only that, but the methods used to administer the punishment are also being picked and pried. The death penalty has been occurring in America since the colonial times when settlers came from Europe. At that time, they used hanging as the most common execution method. This persisted until the†¦show more content†¦The court used the public opinion to determine their views on death for raping. Only a few states at that time had allowed death for rapists. The 2008 Kennedy v. Louisiana extened the Coker ruling so that the death penalty could not be issued if the child is still alive after raping. Once again, the court used the public’s opinion in determining this. Only 6 states allowed execution from raping, clearly defining the views against it. In 2002, the court case Ring v. Arizona, the court ruled through the Sixth Amendment that a jury, rather than a judge had the right to issue the capital punishment.The 2006 case of Brown v. Sanders solidified that verdict. The Supreme Court had not taken up an execution method case for 117 years until Baze v. Reese determi ned that the lethal injection was constitutional. These cases narrowed down who the death penalty was constitutional for. Atkins v. Virginia in 2002, the court determined that executing a mentally retarded human is cruel and unconstitutional. Also, in Bobby v. Bies, states had the authority to conduct tests to determine the mentality of a criminal. To protect the rights of juveniles, the 2005 Roger v. Simmons case stated that it was unconstitutional for the state to administer the death penalty for juveniles because of lack of maturity and responsibility (Cornell Law, Death Penalty). Methods for administering the death penalty have also fallen under the anger of critics. The two most common methods of execution, lethalShow MoreRelatedThe History of Capital Punishment1239 Words   |  5 Pagesstatements, and there was no DNA evidence or murder weapon found (Pilkington). How can a man’s life be taken in such an unfair and cruel way? The world should make capital punishment illegal, recognizing it as a moral and ethical mistake, a cruel and misguided injustice, and an impractical and wasteful act. Capital punishment has a complicated history, both worldwide and particularly in the United States. Due to the efforts of human rights groups and evolutions in society, the world has many fewer executionsRead MoreHistory of Capital Punishment in America779 Words   |  3 PagesCapital Punishment, the process by which the government takes the life of an offender for crimes committed against humanity. Capital Punishment also referred to as the â€Å"death penalty† has played a role in the correctional process dating back to 1608 in Jamestown. Over the years the use of Capital Punishment has fluctuated. Like most areas of corrections the death penalty has become reformed and altered to needs of modern day society. Like most controversial issues the majority of people haveRead MoreHistory of Capital Punishment Essay997 Words   |  4 PagesHistory of Capital Punishment In the history of the world, the punishment for murder, or homicide, has generally been â€Å"the death penalty†. This seems to be the most logical punishment. If someone intentionally kills an innocent human being, why should he be able to live? Or should he? Should he be forced to suffer for the remainder of his life for this terrible crime? There are many arguments and opinions on this topic; many reasons why we should sentence murderers to death, but many reasonsRead More The History of Capital Punishment Essay2004 Words   |  9 PagesThe History of Capital Punishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crime has been a plague on society from ancient times to present. In response to this plague, society has formed structured rules to deal with the perpetrators of crime. A crime can be defined as act that society’s government deems as illegal. Different societies have formed various methods and standards for evaluating crime and assigning corresponding punishment. What constitutes a crime has changed throughout the course of history. In ancient timesRead More The History and Public Opinion of Capital Punishment Essay4449 Words   |  18 PagesThe History and Public Opinion of Capital Punishment The history of the death penalty goes back to the earliest civilizations where it was used to punish all sorts of crimes from robbery, to murder, to different forms of heresy. In the United States it evolved to just punish murder, treason, and some cases of rape. It has been an issue that has sparked a never ending debate that goes back to colonial times. The general public traditionally supported the death penalty in a majorityRead MoreThe History of Capital Punishment as a Deterrent to Crime Essay2614 Words   |  11 Pagesconcerning capital punishment, or the death penalty. Through the passing of time, our society castigates transgressors with the death penalty. Many nations through time have decided to enact this harsh treatment. In the United States alone, the federal government has persevered to reinforce people to death (Marzillo 10). According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, â€Å"Capital Punishment is the execution of a person by judicial process as a punishment for an off ense.† Over the centuries capital punishment has beenRead MoreThe Effects Of Capital Punishment On Society1516 Words   |  7 Pages Capital Punishment Tyra L. Ferguson SYP4514: Patterns of Violence in Society University of Central Florida Introduction Capital punishment was first noted in America in the early 1600’s (â€Å"Part I: History of†, 2014). Much like most of the laws in America, capital punishment was brought here and influenced by European settlers (â€Å"Part I: History of†, 2014). Many crimes that were punishable by death in its infancy in America ranged from stealing fruit to murder. Capital punishmentRead MoreBureau Of Justice Statistics : The United States Primary Source For Criminal Justice1439 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). U.S. Department of Justice. 25 Nov. 2014. Web. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Bureau of Justice Statistics is the United States primary source for criminal justice statistics. The website has published information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, â€Å"The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is a component of the OfficeRead MoreThe Death Penalty Throughout History1074 Words   |  5 Pagesdevelopment of the death penalty throughout history. It begins with a brief explanation of the origins of capital punishment, referencing the first known documentation of actions punishable by death. The paper goes on to explore different methods of execution and how they have progressed and changed over the years. Documented cases at different points of history are referenced to show the relationship of time periods and beliefs to the implementation of capital punishment. Finally, the development of differentRead MoreThe Death Penalt y Of Capital Punishment1480 Words   |  6 Pagessystem, such as the death penalty. Capital punishment has been used many times in history all around the world, and it was quite popular. Many people argue that capital punishment is useful in deterring crime and that it is only fair that criminals receive death as punishment for a heinous crime. On the contrary, others see the death penalty as a violation of the 8th amendment. It restricts excessive fines, and it also does not allow cruel and unusual punishment to be inflicted upon criminals. Although