The Death Penalty Needs a Better Appeals Process - 1414 Words

The Death Penalty Needs a Better Appeals Process Most often the death penalty is used in the United States to punish people that kill children, women or the elderly. The system has been in place for many years, and has evolved from the use of the electric chair and firing squads to the current method, the use of lethal injection. The most common reason innocent people are put to death is because of poor representation; in many cases, inmates get a court appointed lawyer and receive the ultimate sentence, the death penalty. Most court appointed lawyers have poor experience handling these types of cases. Additionally, they often do not believe their client’s innocence. Why should we believe a person’s innocence when the people that are supposed to be on their side don’t even believe them? While the death penalty is a good choice for the worst criminals in the system, the appeals process is so flawed that innocent people often face the ultimate punishment, the death penalty, for a crime they didn’t commit. On December 23, 1991, in Corsicana, Texas, Cameron Todd Willingham was awakened by his oldest daughter Amber telling him that their house was on fire. His wife Stacy, who had gone to The Salvation Army earlier that morning to get Christmas presents for the kids, was not home at the time. Willingham tried to help his children get out of the house but could not because of the intense heat, so he escaped from the home on his own. Some witnesses described him as â€Å"hysterical†Show MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty: Killing Taxpayer’s Wallets...Not Criminals1733 Words   |  7 Pagessentence in which one is sentenced to death, after being found guilty of a capital offense, by a court of law. The death penalty and capital punishment are synonymous in terms of the law (â€Å"Capital Punishment†). Capital offenses are often serious, major crimes that usually involve either the murder or harming of another individual. The death penalty process has become a long and arduous process that can last a decade or more. This process can entail innumerable appeals, public defenders stalling time andRead MoreDeath Penalty Is Not A World Of Unknown Essay1087 Words   |  5 PagesThe sun is overshadowed today with the cloud of death lingering in the air. Everything is somber, watching a man prepare to take his last breath in the name of justice. As the clock ticks away to the man’s fate, so do his crimes. For the crimes he committed can’t be forgiven and shall be given the justice of the ancient times. The life for a life shall be commenced as the clock ticks his final moments. As the countdown ends, the world watches the man’s last breath. The man is dead and justice hasRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Illegal1613 Words   |  7 PagesConstitution that governs our laws in America is there to protect all of the people and that includes the criminals that are on death row. The death penalty materially violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment, the guarantees of due process of law, and of equal protection under the law. (Bedau, Hugo Adam, The Case Against the Death Penalty) This is the reason why capital punishment should be illegal in all fifty states. We believe that the states should not give itselfRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Illegal1563 Words   |  7 Pagesare on death row. The death penalty materially violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment, the guarantees of due process of law, and of equal protection under the law. This is the reason why capital punishment should be illegal in all fifty states. We believe that the states should not give itself the right to kill any human beings. Capital punishment is an inexcusable denial of civil rights and is inconsistent with the basic values of our democratic system. The death penaltyRead MoreThe Death Penalty Act Of 1851 Essay1724 Words   |  7 PagesUnited States Supreme Court decisions, effectively allowed the death penalty to be reviewed. In 2014 the California Supreme Court found that the death penalty constituted cruel and unusual punishment under the state constitution. Although the state of California constituted the death penalty as a cruel punishment, other states have made it a point to continuously use public executions and have used different forms of the death penalty. Arthur Miller, an American playwright, wrote an essay satirizingRead MoreOpinion on the Death Penalty Essay1006 Words   |  5 PagesOpinion on the Death Penalty The death penalty, also referred to as capital punishment, has been abolished in Canada since 1976, but still exist in a few American States. The last execution in Canada took place in 1962. I disagree with the death penalty for several reasons. My first reason is that I find it extremely inhumane to take someones life in order to demonstrate the power of the law. Another reason for my disapproval of the death penalty, is the amount of money that it takes toRead MoreThe Cost For A Non Death Penalty1432 Words   |  6 Pagessurrounding the death penalty. â€Å"Each execution can cost between $2.5 million and $5 million.† (Fagan 1). Compared to the millions of dollars it takes to execute a single to person to the more affordable cost of housing a prisoner of a range of $20,000-$40,000 a year; we as a society could punish these people for their crimes without killing and for less money.(Hirby 1). The cost for a non-death penalty trial is in the area of $250,000 whereas a trial concerning the death penalty will be in the areaRead MoreThe Death Penalty And The Penalty1005 Words   |  5 Pagesknew how I felt about the death penalty. Growing up in the 70 s and 80 s, it was always an eye for an eye, if someone killed another and was proven guilty then he or she would get the death penalty. In high school, I learned that if a person was convicted of the death penalty then they were allowed 13 appeals . Not sure where the 13 appeals came from because I cannot prove that today. The research I have found, is that there is no limit of appeals for the death penalty due to finality of the punishmentRead MoreShould The Death Penalty Be Abolished?1226 Words   |  5 PagesHistorically, the death penalty was created to punish a crime, to prevent it from repeating, and to deter further crimes. The United States’ use of the death penalty can be traced back as early as 1608, when early European settlers executed Captain George Kendall for being a spy from Spain (â€Å"Part I: History of the Death Penalty†, n.d.). As time progressed the amount of money to sustain such a punishment slowly became a burden to States. As 32 States currently have the death penalty, taxpayers and politiciansRead MoreDeath Penalty for Murders1634 Words   |  6 PagesIs it justifiable and effective to murder a murderer? The death penalty is one form of severe punishment in the United States. Peopl e who have performed heinous crimes can be sentenced to capital punishment in some states; however, this type of chastisement is rarely performed. Capital punishment has more negative aspects than it has positive. The states that have legalized the death penalty face the excessive costs associated with it, which can be damaging to their economies. In addition, there