Prior to presenting your discussion postings watch the The State of the Death Penalty in the United States video, read the Cruel and Unusual PunishmentLinks to an external site. article, the Death PenaltyLinks to an external site. article, The Death Knell for the Death Penalty: Judge Carney’s Order to Kill Capital Punishment Rings Loud Enough to Reach the Supreme CourtLinks to an external site. article and review the Supreme Court Opinion synopses.
Discuss the current status of the death penalty in the United States.
If your last name begins with N through Z, make sure that your primary response covers the following points:
State whether you support or are against the death penalty and why.
Does the death penalty violate the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment?
Is it legal to execute someone who has intellectual disabilities?
Is it legal to execute someone who is mentally ill?
Be sure to support your answer with scholarly sources and appellate court opinions.
Full Answer Section
There are a number of reasons for the decline in the use of the death penalty. One reason is that public support for the death penalty has been declining. A 2021 poll found that 55% of Americans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder, down from 80% in 1994.
Another reason for the decline in the use of the death penalty is that the legal challenges to the death penalty have been successful. In recent years, the Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty cannot be imposed on people with intellectual disabilities or juveniles. The Court has also ruled that the death penalty cannot be imposed if there is a risk that an innocent person will be executed.
Despite the decline in the use of the death penalty, it remains a controversial issue in the United States. There are a number of arguments for and against the death penalty.
Arguments for the death penalty:
- The death penalty deters crime.
- The death penalty is just punishment for certain crimes, such as murder.
- The death penalty brings closure to the families of victims.
Arguments against the death penalty:
- The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime.
- The death penalty is applied unfairly, with minorities and the poor being more likely to be sentenced to death.
- There is a risk of executing innocent people.
- The death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment.
The debate over the death penalty is likely to continue for many years to come. There are strong arguments on both sides of the issue, and it is a complex issue with no easy answers.
In addition to the arguments mentioned above, there are a number of other factors that have contributed to the decline in the use of the death penalty in the United States. These factors include:
- The increasing cost of the death penalty.
- The difficulty of finding jurors who are willing to sentence someone to death.
- The growing recognition that the death penalty is not an effective deterrent to crime.
The future of the death penalty in the United States is uncertain. It is possible that the death penalty will be abolished altogether in the coming years. However, it is also possible that the death penalty will remain a legal punishment, albeit with stricter safeguards in place to prevent the execution of innocent people.
Sample Answer
The death penalty is a legal punishment in the United States, but it is not used evenly across the country. As of January 2023, 27 states, as well as the federal government, have the death penalty on the books. However, only 28 states have carried out an execution in the past 10 years.
The use of the death penalty has been declining in the United States for many years. In 1999, there were 98 executions in the US. By 2021, that number had dropped to 17.