Dryer1

KatyDryer
March082013
Cuevas6
ResearchPaper
CapitalPunishment:LegalizedKilling
Capitalpunishment:oneofthemostcontroversialtopicsonewillhearaboutinpapers
nowandinthefuture.FOXNews,CBSNewsandNBCNewshaveallpoststoriesaboutthe
deathpenaltyandwillcontinuetopostabouttheminthefuture.However,thenewspapersdont
givealltheinformationthatcitizensneedtoknowandrelyon.Peopleoftenassumethe
newspaperarticlestelleverythingneedingtobetoldforsomeonetounderstandtheworld,but
manypaperslackthenegativeeffectsandreactionstothedeathpenalty.Mostpeoplealready
believepreconceivednotionsaboutcapitalpunishment,buthowcanonebasetheiropinionon
somethingtheydontunderstand?Capitalpunishment,commonlyreferredtoasthedeath
penalty,canbedefinedas,thepunishmentofdeathforacrime(thefreedictionary.com).Those
whogoagainstthedeathpenaltyclaimusingkillingandotherhighriskcrimesasanexcuseto
killsomeoneisabsurd.Theothersideoftheargument,however,explainshowtheexecutionsof
murdererswouldbringasenseofrelieftothefamiliesofthevictimsandtherestofthe
community.Duetothemajornegativeeffectsonamajorityofthenation,legislationshouldban
thecapitalpunishmentinallstates.
Humane?

Althoughasubstantialamountofpeoplebelieveincapitalpunishmenttodetercrime,
manypeoplesmoralscomeintoplaycanoneconsiderlegalizedkillingtrulyanybetterthan

Dryer2

illegalmanslaughter?Whykillpeoplewhokillpeopletoshowkillingiswrong?(Messerli).
Therearemanycommonthoughtsamongsupportersofthedeathpenalty,includingthebelief
puttingsomeoneondeathrowandkillingthemwitheitheraneedle,ortheelectricchairinsome
states,wouldbringclosuretothevictimsfamilies.However,BethanyWebb,whosmotherand
sisterwerebothmurdered,claims,that[capitalpunishment]isnotclosureformyfamily.That
isnotclosurefortheotherfamilies(Dolan).Ifothervictimsouttheredontfeelasenseofpeace
fromthismedicalinducedkilling,thanwhowould?Wouldthecommunityfeelmore
comfortablewithoutthepressureofonemorehighriskmurdererintheprisons?
Manymembersofthecommunitysay,deathpenaltyviolatestheconstitutionalban
againstcruelandunusualpunishment(AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion).Aplethoraofpeopledo
notactuallyfeelsaferinplacescapitalpunishmentresidesin.Thoseinstrongagreementwith
capitalpunishmentfocusonthefactTexasobtainsthemostdeathsbyexecution,butin2010,it
wasnotinthetop15mostcrimefilledstates.Thefactscouldeasilybeconsideredacoincidence,
butnoteveryonebelievesit.

Althoughtheopinionsoncapitalpunishmentdifferslightly,mostspectatorssaythesame
thingitgoesagainstamajorityofpeoplesmorals.Also,manynonsupportersdeclarenotonly
doesitgoagainstmultiplepeoplesmorals,itgoesagainstmostpeoplesreligions,whichcauses
areligiousdebatebetweenprodeathpenaltyandantideathpenaltyindividuals.Ifitssucha
moraldisruptiontocommunities,shouldweconsideritworthkeepingintheUnitedStates?
Effective?
Questionsthatdullonthemindsofbothsupportersandnonsupportersincludewhether
ornotcapitalpunishmentsignificantlyreducesthemurderrate.A2009surveyofcriminologists

Dryer3

revealedthatover88%believedthedeathpenaltywasNOTadeterrenttomurder(Knowthe
FactsAboutCapitalPunishment).Scepticsalikeponderaroundwiththisidea:ifthedeath
penaltydoesnothaveaneffect,morestateswouldoutlawit.
Surprisinglyenough,38statesintheUnitedStatesallowcapitalpunishment,leavingonly
twelvestatestobanitpermanently.10ofthe12stateswithoutcapitalpunishmenthave
homicideratesbelowthenationalaverage,FederalBureauofInvestigationdatashowswhilehalf
thestateswiththedeathpenaltyhavehomicideratesabovethenationalaverage(Fressenden).
Thestatisticsshowanalarmingdifferencebetweenstateswithandwithoutthedeathpenalty.
Still,somebelievethatthemurderrateisnotcorrelatedwithwhetherornotthestatehasthe
deathpenalty.Whateverthefactorsarethataffectchangeinhomiciderates,theydontseemto
operatedifferentlybasedonthepresenceorabsenceofthedeathpenaltyinastate
(Fressenden).Otherpossiblereasonsforlessmurdersoccurringinnondeathpenaltyareasremain
unknownatthistime,buttheenvironmentandcircumstancesinvolvedwiththecrimeorthestate
maycontaintheactualmakeorbreakpiecedecidingthemurderrates.Thefactsleadtowardsa
noneffectivedeterrenttowardshighmasskillingsandothercrimes.Moststatesstillusecapital
punishmentasawaytostoppeoplefromkillingandcommittingotheroffenses.
FinanciallyBeneficial?
Manypeopleareblindtotheamountofmoneybeingspenttowardsthecapital
punishment.Capitalpunishmentmayreducetheamountofhighprofilecriminalsinprisons,but
criminologistsnowsaythedeathpenaltycostsmuchmorethantraditionaljailtimewithout
parole....youcouldbelookingat$350,000to$500,000foreachoneofthesethings(DPIC
Homepage).Capitalpunishmenttakesasignificantamountofmoneyoutoftaxpayerspockets,

Dryer4

buttheinvestmentcouldcontainlittletonoworth.NewJerseytaxpayersoverthelast23years
havepaidmorethanaquarterbilliondollarsonacapitalpunishmentsystemthathasexecutedno
one(CostsoftheDeathPenalty).Inastatewherethedeathpenaltyisrarelyeverused,alotof
moneygetsputintoit.Instateswheretheyactuallyuseit,thepricesareconsideredoutofthis
worldlyexpensive.InCalifornia,capitaltrialsaresixtimesmorecostlythanothermurder
trials(Dieter).Thecostsofkillingpeopleoncanshockanyone.Mostpeopledontrealizehow
muchcomesoutoftheirhardearnedmoneyforsomethingtheymaynotevenwant.In
California,wherethemostexecutionstakeplacerightbehindTexas,itcostsanextra$90,000
perinmatetoimprisonsomeonesentencedtodeathanadditionalexpensethattotalsmore
than$63.3millionannually
(ToExecuteorNot:AQuestionofCost?).
Thedeathpenaltyhasno
benefittotaxpayersinanyway,consideringthefactonelethalinjectionfromthecourtcosts25
timesmorethansomeonestayinginjailfortherestoftheirliveswithnochanceofparole(Costs
oftheDeathPenalty).
Thecosts,forthefirsttime,appearasthemainhighlightoverwhypeopledontdesire
capitalpunishmentnotonlyintheirstate,butintheentirecountryasawhole.Killingpeopleas
anoptionratherthanimprisoningsomeoneforlifedoesntcreatethatmuchofadifferencetothe
jailsystems,buttheamountofmoneyinpeoplespocketsgetssmallerandsmallereveryday.
KillingofInnocent?
Amajorpartofthehesitancetowardsusingthedeathpenaltyasapunishmenttocrimes
includesthepossibilityofaninnocentmanorwomanbeingwrongfullyputtodeath....alegal
regimerelyingonthedeathpenaltywillinevitablyexecuteinnocentpeoplenottoooften,one
hopes,butundoubtedlysometimes("ExecutedButPossiblyInnocent).AmannamedMr.

Dryer5

Sampsonfacedaccusationsoverwhetherornothekilledthreemenduringatriphitchhiking.He
acceptedthechargesbelievinghewouldjustgetchargedtolifeinjailwithoutparole,butit
didn'tturnoutthatway.Thejudgedeclaredsincecarjackingwasinvolveditwasacapital
offenseandheshouldbetriedforthedeathpenalty.However,whenitgottrialled,thejuryvoted
itdownbecausethedeathpenaltywasbannedinthestatewherethecrimetookplace(Fressden).
Peoplehavealsobeendebatingaboutwhetherornotthatletsaguiltypersonrunfree.Inthecase
ofDavidSpena,amanwhopoliceaccusedofkillingthreeteenagersinthe80s,twodifferent
copsclaimedtheybelievedhewasinnocent.Nothingfromtheinvestigationledustoany
evidencethathewasinvolved("ExecutedButPossiblyInnocent").Manypeoplealsoclaim
DNAtestingactuallyeliminatesthepossibilityofanyinnocentpeoplebeingputtodeathbythe
handsofthecourt.However,...thefactthatDNAtestingisonlypossiblein510%ofall
criminalcases,itshowsthatsciencecannotalwaysclearinnocentsuspects,whichcanresultin
wrongfulconvictions("TheInnocenceProject").Theriskofaninnocentpersonbeingconvicted
ofacrimetheydidntcommitandsentencedtodeathmayactuallyalarmmany.Also,many
authoritiesmaybelievesostronglythatsomeonedidthecrimebasedonasimilaraccountof
criminalactionsintheperson'spast.Insomecases,theauthoritieshaveevenurgedwitnessesto
testifyagainstaperson."Thepoliceweresureitwas(Cantu)becausehehadhurtapolice
officer...theytoldmetheywerecertainitwashim,andthat'swhyItestified"("ExecutedBut
PossiblyInnocent").Nooneevensawtheboythereandyethefacedtheseaccusationsagainst
himandwasexecutedbecauseofit.Basedonthesefactstheamountofinnocentpeoplesentto
deathwillneverdisappear.UntilDNAtestingbecomesmoreadvancedandmorewidely
available,thechanceofkillingsomeonewhodidnothingwrongwillalwaysbeprominent.

Dryer6

Whowouldbeaffected?
Aftercarefulconsideration,manypeoplewonderwhomthedeathpenaltywouldaffectif
itactuallystayedlegalized.....eachone[state]hasvariouslimitationsthatdictatewhetherornot
thecrimewillwarrantthedeath("CrimesPunishablebyDeath").Althoughmoststatesonly
perceivemurderaspunishablebydeath,afewstatesagreerapeandothersexualrelatedcrimes
arepunishableaswell.Murderduringkidnappingandmurderrelatedtorapeorchild
molestationarebothpunishablebydeath("41FederalCapitalOffenses").Mostcrimes
consideredworthyoftheinjectionorelectricchairunderfederallawmustinvolvemurderor
death,notpettycrimes.Traffickinglargeamountsofdrugsandattemptingtomurderofficers,
witnessesincrimesorjurorsarealsoworthyofcapitalpunishmentbutmaynotbeconsidered
rightinthenameoftheconstitution("41FederalCapitalOffenses").Mostcrimesconsidered
constitutionalmustinvolvemurderinonewayoranother.
Ifthedeathpenaltyonlyaffectsaminimalpercentageofcriminal,thanisitactuallya
betterdeterrenttomurderandothercrimes?Maybeitlldecreasethemurderratebecauseitonly
reallyaffectsmurderers,buttheothercrimesmorecommonlyknownmaynotdecrease
substantiallybecausetheyknowtheyllreceivenothingworsethanjailtime.
Conclusion
Inthe38statesintheUnitedStatesthatallowcapitalpunishment,taxpayersfundthe
system.However,consideringthefactthatmostpeopledontagreewiththedeathpenaltyinthe
firstplace,itisnotafairwaytoraisethemoney.Theamountoffundingittakesissignificantly
morethanjustjailtimeandmoneylikethatshouldnotbewastedonasystemonedoesntagree
with.Ifonedoesntcondonethesystem,theyshouldcalltheircongressmanandattempttoget

Dryer7

thedeathpenaltybannedfromtheirstate.Theamountofmoneysavedcouldhavegreatervalue
suchasspendingittowardschildrenscollegefunds,curingcancerortowardssomethingmore
funratherthanasystemthatdoesnothingexceptkillsomeonewhomayormaynotactuallybe
guiltyofdoingthecrimetheaccusationisfor.Socallthenearestcongressmantomakea
differencenotonlyinthecommunity,butthestatesasawhole.Thecommunityneedsand
deservesthecomfortsomethingassimpleasgettingridofthedeathpenaltycansolve.This
generationcanchangethecountryandillegalizecapitalpunishment.Ittakesonepersontopick
uptheirphoneandcallthenearestcongressmanandexplaintothemwhythedeathpenaltycan
notbeconsideredahealthysolutiontomurdernoworinthefuture.