Essay on The Unconstitutionality of Capital Punishment

The Unconstitutionality of Capital Punishment Capital punishment is one of the most popularly debated topics in the nation today. Since colonial times, more than 13,000 people have been legally executed. A large percentage of these executions occurred during the early 1900s. In the 1930s, as many as 150 people were being legally executed every year. However, the number of executions started to decrease as public outrage became apparent. In 1996, thirty-seven states, including New Jersey, legalized the death penalty. Of the other thirteen states, Michigan abolished the death penalty in 1847, Minnesota in 1853, and Alaska and Hawaii never had the death penalty. Today, there are over 2,000 people on death row. Almost all are very†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, the states that establish death penalty laws do not reap any significant benefits in reducing crime or murder rates. Research shows that a large percentage of the murderers do what they do because of passion, malevolence, and/or because they are under the influenc e of alcohol or drugs(Bedau 170). This demonstrates the fact that the murderer gives little thought to the consequences he/she might have to face later on for the crime. A second criminal profile includes those who plan their crimes beforehand, such as professional executioners. According to Bedau, murderers are not influenced by the death penalty as a punishment, since they carefully plan their murders thinking that they will not get caught (171). Therefore, they do not think about the consequences they will face if they are captured. Another argument made by death penalty supporters is that the death penalty will eliminate the chances of a criminal committing a second crime. Certainty, the death penalty will completely destroy the chances of a criminal committing another crime. However, it also destroys the chances of rehabilitating criminals by ending their lives. The purpose of capital punishment is an attempt to decrease and prevent crime. But how will committing another crime help? The death penalty is only another form of murder. As previously stated, the death penalty is supposed to act as a deterrence to crime, but manyShow MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty Is Justified1143 Words   |  5 PagesObjective paper on the death penalty Capital punishment is legally authorized killing as punishment for a crime. The death penalty questions the morality of killing a person as justification for their crime. It also brings to question whether the death penalty actually serves as a deterrent for crime, and that some of the people executed are found innocent afterwards. 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