Video Questions: The Death Penalty

Instructions: Please answer each question in 1-2 complete sentences.

1. What are capital crimes?

Capital crimes are those crimes that are punishable by death.

2. What classes of offenders will never have the death penalty imposed on them?
The death penalty cannot be imposed on certain classes of offenders, including
individuals with intellectual disabilities, individuals who committed their crimes as
juveniles, and individuals whose crimes did not result in the death of another
person.That is state on the Eight Amendment of the Constitution.

3. How many states can impose the death penalty?

Courrently, the death penalty is imposed in 27 states in the United States.

4. What case marked the beginning of modern death penalty law?

The case that marked the beginning of modern death penalty law in the United States is
Furman v. Georgia (1972). In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty as it
was then being applied was unconstitutional because it violated the Eighth Amendment's
prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. This ruling effectively suspended the death
penalty in the United States until new guidelines could be established.
5. In what types of cases is the death penalty considered inappropriate?

The death penalty is considered inappropriate in cases where the defendant is

intellectually disabled or has a mental illness, in cases where the defendant is a juvenile,
and in cases where the defendant did not actually commit the crime, such as in cases of
mistaken identity or wrongful conviction. Additionally, some people argue that the
death penalty is inappropriate in all cases, as it violates the right to life and can be
applied unfairly.
6. Why is the death penalty not allowed for anyone under 18?
Because people under 18 are considered to be less culpable than adults and more
capable of reform, and therefore the death penalty is not considered an appropriate
punishment for them.
7. What is the primary method of execution in the United States?
The primary method of execution in the United States varies by state, but lethal
injection is currently the most commonly used method.