I read that Max Soffar died while he was on death row and for being there for falsely testifying. I can't believe that he was so close to getting his retrial but died days before it happened. Also that he didn't get his rights was pretty bad especially since they found that he didn't commit the murder. Beyond me as to why he said he did though. The next one that I read was about how bad the racial disparities are when it comes to death row. Black people have it several times worse compared to white people. I saw that there are 30 times many death sentences for black people compared to white people. I read the one that had to deal with Arizona and the death of Landigran and how he was wrongfully committed and killed by lethal injection. They found the evidence that he didn't commit the crime and he died for nothing. I read the one that about the guy who found out that North Carolina was found to be unconstitutionally convicting people for the death penalty. I like how he challenged that acts and won by a landslide. I then read the one about how Missouri was not taking care of their lethal injections and going aginst all of the regulations that Missouri had to lethal injections. Whoever was doing that should be fired and probably taken to court because no one knows how long the person and or people were doing that for. And the last trend that I read had to deal with Bobby Moore and how being intellectually disabled was a way around the death penalty or gives a little bit of reason for it not being held to law. Also I like how this trend brought up Lennie from Of Mice and Men. ICCRunner789
I read the article about the death penalty in Louisiana. I don't think its right, if you are black or poor, how it can be easy for you to get the death penalty. I do think if you do a major crime, like murder or something like that, you should do your time. But, no death penalty just because you are poor or black. I believe black and poor people are more likely to do the most major crime. So, they are more likely to be given the death penalty. I do think it's better, since some states have gotten away from the death penalty. I know so many innocent people have been sentenced to death, and was innocent. If a poor or black person keep doing the same major crime they do, they will be on there last strik, and they are likely to be looking at the death chair. I don't think its fair how poor and black people get treated, when it comes to the sentencing. They might not have the money to get them a good lawyer, but that don't been treat them like they aren't nothing to us. They still deserve a fair trial and fair sentencing. I think that's why when it comes to court, people plea, because they know they don't have the money to help them out. And, they know they possibly could get a lesser time, if they plea guilty. It's sad, and it needs to be changed. There will always be crime. Death for a certain type of crime isn't right.
Knowing what I know now about the death penalty, I definitely do not believe in it. Like you said, it is very unfair for people to get sentenced to death just because of their race, or economic status. That is abuse of power on the courts part, and if they can not be fair in the way they sentence the death penalty should be made illegal in all states. And like you said, sometimes people just do not have the money for a good lawyer, and it is sad that the status of a person's lawyer determines what kind of sentencing people get, because sentencing someone to death wrongly is almost as bad as putting an innocent person to death, because however guilty a person is, if they are put on death row wrongly that is taking a person's life away. I also like what you said at the end about death being a type of crime too. Should we really be putting someone to death, because that is a crime, killing another human being is a crime and I don't personally understand how that is any more ethical that what the person did, to get sentenced to death. Piglet456
The black and the poor typically just don't have the resources or the money to plead their case well. They get stuck with some low paid rookie who doesn't really care about their case because he/she is just trying to get through the case before lunch, and the only reason he/she took the case is because it was the first one they found and they need to pay off that big school loan they have. The death penalty is way too faulty to still be used. If there are any cases at all of innocent people being put to death then that should be the end of it. How many innocent lives will we take before we fix it? I like what you said about killing being a crime. In the court's eyes, killing someone for killing someone makes sense. Let's solve a crime by committing the same crime, but not calling it a crime because we are in power and say so. Sounds logical to me. -Leilani789
The topic of the death penalty is such a controversial topic, it is almost impossible to not find interesting things related to it. I personally found the statistics given in the article to be very interesting. “More than 80% of the 241 death sentences imposed in Louisiana since 1976 have been reversed on appeal, and one death row prisoner has been exonerated for every three executions in the state.” I think this is a bit worrisome, if people are being sent to death row their cases should be airtight. There should be no question that, that person on death row committed the crime in question, and if the sentence can be reversed why are they there in the first place? I also found the facts about racial disparity to be asstonishing, I believe that if sentencing of a crime can not be determined in a way where race is not an issues, states have no right giving out the death penalty. If an African-American commited a crime worthy of the death penalty and was sentenced to death row, and a white person committed the same crime but did not get sentenced to death row that is just wrong, there should not be that kind of disparity when a person's life is on the line. I also found it quite horrifying that Jeffrey Landrigan was executed, even though two weeks before his execution DNA evidence was found that did not link him to the crime. That is a wrongful death and it should have been stopped. I believe that even if there is the slightest chance a person is innocent the death penalty should be withheld until further evidence is found. Not only that, but is is extremely expensive to put a person to death there have been many instances where the death penalty has been misused or put in effect for the wrong person, spending taxpayer dollars to put people to death, when they don't even belong on death row in the first place. I personally do not believe in the death penalty and I never have. I do think there are people who should never be let back out into the world again because they are terrible people, but I think there is just too many variables where the death penalty is concerned. What if an innocent person is put to death or what if someone was sentenced to death row just because of implicit bias. Death can not be undone and I don’t think it is the court's right to take someone’s life away. Piglet456
I totally agree with you in the fact that the death penalty should be abolished. The racial disparity is just absurd. An African american who commits a crime should get the same punishment as a white person who commits the exact same crime. Life without parole is a better way to go about punishing people because they will never come back into society and it is a lot cheaper. This also saves a lot of innocent people from dying as well.
I agree that the death penalty should be banned. Race is a huge issue in the criminal justice system. If people commit the same crime they should both do the same time no matter what skin color they have. Banning the death penalty will help with the race issue, innocent people being put to death, and money. bamboo456
All these stories really show you the fine line that needs to be followed when dealing with the death penalty. There were a couple of them that were mainly debated about the DNA. The one man from Arizona that now lives in Tennessee was on death row but is now free because the DNA found on the victims shirt was not his. One of the articles talked about how there was a voting on you cant send a person to death without DNA proof. That is an amazing idea. DNA is one of the best findings in investigation it has helped many people get out of hot water and it has helped many criminals be put behind bars. Another one of the articles discussed how the pharmaceutical business was screwing with the drugs that were used for lethal injection. There was improper storage improper dosage mishandling the drugs not doing the right compound. I work in a pharmacy and I know that everything has to be just right or it could be disastrous those inmates could end up suffering for hours without dieing if the compound isn't mixed right or stored properly. The cost of keeping these criminals in death row is astonishing. Not only do you have to house them but they need to go to court they need to travel all the time you have to pay the salary of the workers. Its extremely hard to determine the price of all the inmates. The mental state of the inmates plays a big role in deciding the death penalty or not. One judge described the man as Lennie from of mice and men. Godzilla789
The first article I chose was about the trial of Kenneth Fults. After pleading guilty he was charged with murder in Georgia and received the death penalty. It was said by Fults’ lawyer that his sentence was unfair due to racial bias. They disregarded the fact that Fults’ has an intellectual disability and that he was severely abused by his family and others. I think this is extremely unfair. He should obviously get a long sentence in prison considering he admitted to committing the crime. However, I do not believe he should receive the death sentence given his intellectual disability. Especially since there is clearly racial bias going on because the judge used harsh racist language towards Fults’. The second article I read was about 150 nations rejecting the death penalty such as Mongolia while others still practice it. I found it very interesting that China, the United States, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia had the most executions from 2013 to 2014. I really don’t think it is fair that all states don’t practice the same beliefs when it comes to the death penalty. Someone in Mongolia could have been guilty for the exact same crime as someone in China, but yet the person living in China must die for the crime they committed. The third article I read was about a man named Anthony Graves being convicted for a crime he did not commit in 1994. It wasn’t until 2010 that he was exonerated for the crime. I think that it’s ridiculous that it took this long for the truth to come out and for justice to be served. What makes the situation worse is that the prosecutor Charles Sebesta’s law license was taken away, however he was able to get it back by saying that the ruling was on technical grounds. This is extremely unsettling to know that someone can get away with wrongly prosecuting someone for years and years and not even be punished for it. Not just that, but think of how many other “mistakes” he will make in the future knowing he got away with it previously. Twal456
The death penalty is a debated topic in our country for many years now on whether it should be allowed or not. There have been way too many cases where a person was put on death row or even executed and later they found evidence to overturn the conviction. That happened in the case of Kevin Cooper in California where he was four hours away from putting him to death and his appeal was overturned. I think that the death penalty could be a good thing because there are truly bad people out there that need the strictest punishment out there, but if that means innocent people will die in the process than the death penalty should not be used until there is basically no way that it was someone else. The other problem is the cost of these cases; Arizona estimated the cost of these cases to be around 7 million when it finally comes to an end. So not only do they have a problem with exonerating people but the cases cost a lot as well. Birdman789
I agree with you that their has been too many innocent people put on death row or executed. We need to review cases more carefully and look over them before the person is executed. I agree with the death penally being good thing because their are bad people out there who deserve it but there are way too many innocent people being wrongly convicted. dragons789
I love that you brought up the price of an actual 'death sentence' its PRICEY :) Apparently there is an argument that it is cheaper for the convicted to serve a life sentence in prison then be executed. I wonder how much money Texas spends a year executing murderers? Have they streamlined the process or just take a huge financial hit to exact justice? Doberman789
After searching through this website i found several interesting facts. Some that stuck out to me were the botched executions. These were stories about people who were being executed and it went horribly wrong. One example was in 1983, a man named John Evans was being executed by electrocution and according to witnesses present at the execution they said: "sparks and flames erupted from the electrode attached to Evans's leg. The electrode burst from the strap holding it in place and caught on fire. Smoke and sparks also came out from under the hood in the vicinity of Evans's left temple. Two physicians entered the chamber and found a heartbeat. The electrode was reattached to his leg, and another jolt of electricity was applied. This resulted in more smoke and burning flesh. Again the doctors found a heartbeat. Ignoring the pleas of Evans's lawyer, a third jolt of electricity was applied. The execution took 14 minutes and left Evans's body charred and smoldering." This was horrible and honestly a little disgusting to read this just further proves that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. Another thing that stuck out to me was the story about Max Soffar who was innocent and spent 35 years on death row until he later died from cancer. The worst part about this was he died just days before his innocence hearing. The fact that we have innocent people on death row is appalling and is just another reason why it needs to be abolished. If innocent people are dying while those who actually committed a crime are still out there in the world, it is time for a change.
Innocent people on death row is not uncommon apparently, Illinois had enough trouble with sentencing innocent people that they had to abolish the death penalty completely. I think that until they prove that there is not possible way someone else could have done the crime than I believe that the death penalty is useful. The problem is it isn’t reliable right now so it should not be used. Birdman789
The death penally has been a very talked about subject in the US for many years. There has been many cases where people have been put on death row or even executed and later found out they were innocent. We need to review a case before we execute them so we can put a stop to executing innocent people. One example that caught my attention was that 80% of the 241 death sentences give in Louisiana sine 1976 have been reversed. That is about 193 inmates that have been wrongly convicted in just one state. If you compare the numbers with all 50 states the numbers of wrongly convicted people on death row would be shocking. I think the death penalty is a useful tool because it keeps some people from committing severe crimes because they know they could get the ultimate punishment. I think we need to review the cases again before a person gets executed because too many innocent people are being executed. dragons789
I agree! It's just sick like are we really to judge or feel like someone on the street in the a serial killer. I feel like people who sentence the people to death row are to be honest. I bet they don't even look for enough facts and evidence to hope to someone who is innocent. That's probably why some states don't have the death penalty anymore. DaBulls456
I agree, we should take utmost care in deciding the fate of an individual. Death is like you said the ultimate punishment and that kind of sentence should be considered if there is complete proof that someone has committed a horrendous crime such as murder. There are many factors that should be taken into account before someone's life is whisked away from this world. Silverado789
Anymore, we as people have a tendency to forget the phrase "Beyond a reasonable doubt" and it appears in all these cases there has been doubt and in many cases the evidence comes out way too late. If we invest in locking someone up and spending more money on taking a life we better do it right, because it is cheaper to incarcerate someone than to do the death penalty. Palmdaddy789
After looking at several sections of this there where many interesting statistics and facts but only a few caught my the most. The first thing that I looked at was who was being sentenced to death row. It really surprised me on many states still have the death penalty. California is the highest on death row but why that many people and I bet half of those inmates are on death row for something that doesn't meet the requirements for the death penalty. Another thing that was super interesting was the upcoming dates to executions dates. It actually shows you what days the executions are, they give the persons name and they also state on how they basically want to die. I thought that was so interesting because I feel like some of this stuff should've been private or not be released. What I thought was the most interesting about that was that it already shows who is getting executed in the next 3 years. It comes to show that the database it comes to have how race can play a big role in that. In 2015 barley 50 people were sentenced to death row and that's not only in one state that's all over. In one graph it shows the percentage of different races that were sentenced. 43% of Blacks, 33% of whites, 16% of Latinos and 4% of Asians. I honestly think that most of the executions are mainly people who live in poverty and the poor. It still surprises that a lot of people who are sentenced to death row shouldn't be sentenced. It's just sad to see many live go over something that shouldn't sentence them. Overall this site was very interesting to read and look over. DaBulls456
I read the article on the California death row prisoner, what it's like to almost be executed. It is astonishing the way the officers treated the prisoner. As if his upcoming death wasn't punishment enough for the crime he may or may not have committed, they then also had to ridicule and tease him. Asking him if he wanted a tombstone pizza for his last meal and telling him that the photos of his dead body would be the last photos that the world would ever see of him. Also the fact that he was there, under that punishment was odd enough. The only witness of the crime, the deceased's eight year old son, said that three white or hispanic men had killed his parents. Cooper is black. The son told his grandmother and the sheriff's deputy that Cooper was not one of the killers after seeing his picture on the news. The son was the only eye witness so how did they get around that? It doesn't say anything about whether or not they found evidence Cooper had left behind, but the son saying it wasn't him seems like a huge deal. -Leilani789
That story seems to me like it needs to be further investigated more and I’m guessing you do to by the way you wrote it. it’s a shame that no one is listening to the only eye witness and just going off what they think should be done and not the right things. Jfl789
As a non-supporter of the death penalty, the fact that there has been clear evidence of discrimination in these reports appalls me. The death penalty solves nothing. The idea of killing someone who has committed a crime no matter what it is, should be out of our jurisdiction. Although it is our right as a society to help apprehend and convict those who do wrong, but we need to come up with a more effective system of doing so. The death penalty in the past have not been effective in deterring criminal acts. The disparity between the demographics inmates sentenced to death row is a crime in itself. In cases where a Caucasian person was victimized by an African American offender the case was over 9 times more likely to result in the death penalty than if the roles were swapped. This I believe is stemmed from a long history of racial inequality in the Criminal Justice System similar to the corruption found in Illinois criminal justice system. Where they falsified evidence to have particular races sentenced to death. This report states that just in Illinois alone 20 people have been exonerated from their death sentences. 26 have been exonerated in the state of Florida which on January 1, 2016 had four inmates short of 400 people waiting to be executed on death row. Even speaking hypothetically, it would be hard to imagine of those nearly 400 how many of them could be wrongly accused. In the Lake Research Partners 2010 poll two-thirds of voters said that they would choose an alternative to the death penalty. The death penalty is not as much as an easy fix as people think it may be and with sentences dropping greatly from 295 to 49 in the last 17 years has become an impractical punitive outlet. Scooby789
The 'learned' behaviors that people adapt to in time periods like these are a tragedy. It seems in many of these cases, that it will take the courts 20 to 30 years before they actually find the individual innocent. And surely the original people involved in the conviction hearing are long gone or moved on to retirement. The arrogance of a court is only as long-lasting as the people who force the accusations. I will say there needs to be far better reviews of evidence and in ways I hope the technology coming out and that eyes everything these days will correct this. The US is right next to Iran in cases of government-assisted murder. One has held the most rapidly evolving government ever seen and the other holds a 2,000 year old book as its practice of law with the clerics being the judges on behalf of a godhead. So similar for such polar opposites. - StrongArm789
The death penalty is a topic of right or good any way you look at if you are for it or against it. A big part of that is the fact that today the death penalty is completed in a unfair and unjust way. And by the constant flow of states not allowing it could be said that it has never been down fairly. The chance of getting the death penalty is very low for a few factor on being its becoming less acceptable. Second is the most common way to get the death penalty is committing first degree murder with many aggravating circumstances most states say at least in to the teens. All the victims in offenders put to death this current year are all white and most of the offenders have been white inmates also and the last trend I saw here that was fascinating is the fact of most have been in prison for 17 years with just 3 of the 13 inmates put to death shorter than that. Jfl789
I agree the death penalty is unfair. This is the reason why I think it should not be used. With the death penalty existing in this complicate bureaucracy, it creates too much room for error. Just take a look at all the people that have been wrongfully executed, or put on death row and their lives have been ruined. Having risks for killing the wrong person, is enough to label the system as "unfair". The death penalty is also contradictory to our societal beliefs. We look against to the taking of a life , but yet we have the death penalty, and others such as abortion, that take lives. Music 456
It's odd to notice that this whole site revolves around current trends and info in regards to capital punishment all over the country. Topics on the first page alone were botched lethal injections, drug suppliers, or the execution of the intellectually disabled. Relaying this info to the public is a genius way to openly share any state's involvement. Second was 'Executions Scheduled for 2016.' A month-to-month calendar which tells you when executions will be carried out, throughout 2019. The dates are sometimes changed or show which states have issued reprieves. I became confused when I came across that Ohio was not able to obtain new drugs. The shortage of sodium thiopental is due to the only company who created it declaring that they were ceasing all manufacturing of it. This forces 35 states to scramble up the remaining doses until a new concoction is declared legally lethal. Charts with executed inmates' names and drugs used upon their death can also be viewed. Thirdly, there is a US map showing who has the DP and who does not, along with current moratorium. The bottom shows dates ranging from 1846 to 2012, for the years certain states barred capital punishment. 'Juveniles and the DP' is next (the final two chapters of our book all neatly rolled into one category). During the modern era, 1973, you can view that 22 individuals have been executed for crimes committed at the time being classified as a juvenile. That's a bit disturbing, regardless of the crime, and makes me think of George Stinney's case in '44. One boy even convicted at 16. Ages when sentenced to death sway between 23-28. Five alive for the trends that relate to the sense and quality of life for those who may have been wrongfully accused. These were found in the 'Resources' drop-down. 'Testimony, Resolutions, Statements, and Speeches on the DP' reveal those government officials or advocacy groups or religious institutions who write to express their concern for the nation's involvement. “Write your local politician” came to thought. Reading a few PDF files sheds light on why these speeches and arguments are made. What constitutes as human rights and what defines cruel and unusual punishment are hot topics and debates that do leave lasting impressions. Having found myself dancing around inside of this site I chose to check out the 'Staff and Board of Directors.' This final thought allows the public to know that there are capital litigators, prestigious lawyers, and advocate groups with plenty of awards fighting behind the curtains, daily. This group holds a knowledge unmatched to any other site I could find and it is beneficial for their directive to be openly expressed. The DP has a sordid past, we know this. The trend spiked and already it is declining again because it has caused more harm than good. Some justice has been achieved for a few families and communities facing murderers, kidnappers, and rapists, but the common course seems set to disaster. Many times circumstantial evidence is enough and forces a few individuals, who shouldn't even be inmates in the first place, the burdens of an invisible demon. We can't bring back the errors of the system, however, we can learn from them. - StrongArm789
The death penalty is a very diverse, and complex issue. My two main concerns are, "is it ethical" and "is it fair". We live in a society that values life, and protects the loss of life. There is a group of society that defends abortion. Society as a whole defines killing as an inherent wrong, and something that will be punished. I feel that the death penalty first of all, isn't ethical. If the death penalty could be executed swiftly and effectively, I may be in favor. But the bureaucracy, in the system is to blame. Too many times do we see innocent people being put on death row, and even killed. I saw the example of Maxx Soffar. There was credible reasons to belive that he was innocent of his crimes. He spent 35 years on death row. It turned out he passed away and wasn't executed, but it just goes to show how unfair the system can be, and is a reason in and of itself, why we should not have the death penalty. Simply the risk of having a person wrongfully killed, is enough for me to throw out my support. Because of the possibility of major error, the death penalty isn't fair. To highlight the unfairness even more, you can look at studies that have been done, to show the mass reversal in cases. For example, in Louisiana about 80% of 241 cases were reversed from death row. This means, that there was at-least something that pointed to innocence. Without those reversals you could have had innocent people being killed. You can even look at the case of Joseph Wood, who had a failed injection, but still died. He was killed by the state of Arizona despite numerous negative DNA tests. I think I have shown that the system has the chance to be unfair to individuals, and therefore not be used. I dont think the death penalty is ethical. If someone commits a murder, I do think they should die. But it just isn't the way to go. Our society sees murder and killing wrong. That is what exactly is taking place with the death penalty. It may no be "murdering" but we are taking a life. Music 456
I agree with you that the way the system carries out the death penalty currently is unfair. Until there is solid proof that discrimination does not occur when deciding what type of punishment to give offenders, I do not believe any state should be able to carry out the death penalty. Taking someone's life, in my opinion, constitutes the death penalty, BUT when race, gender, or other personal characteristics are part of the reason why or why not someone is given the death penalty, THEN NO ONE SHOULD GET IT. Cards789
There were six facts that stood out to me as I looked over the page. To start, in 96% of states where there have been reviews of race and death penalty, there was a pattern of race-of-victim or race-of-defendant or both. This means that almost 100% of the time, RACE played a part in whether or not the death penalty was given as punishment. Considering ONLY that fact, it seems preposterous to me that the death penalty is still an option. The second thing I noticed was that since 1973, more than 150 people have been released from death row with evidence of innocence. If innocent people have been released from death row with evidence, how many innocent people have already been put to death before they were able to find evidence of their innocence?! We should not be killing innocent people. If it is even a possibility, we should not do it, which is another reason why the death penalty should not be a punishment. The third fact that I found for an even bigger reason to not have the death penalty as punishment is the following: A study in California found that those who killed whites were over 3 times more likely to be sentenced to death than those who killed blacks and over 4 times more likely than those who killed Latinos. Again, this statistic shows the corruption within the system revolving around the death penalty. If the race of the victim or the defendant plays a role in whether or not someone is sentenced to death, WE SHOULD NOT BE ENFORCING IT ON ANYONE! Fourth shocking fact that supports the idea that death penalty should be eliminated: 31 people have been sentenced to death when the defendant was white and the victim was black, but 297 people were sentenced to death when the defendant was black and the victim was white. This fourth statistic is just another one to add to the list of race playing a role when deciding whether or not to sentence someone to death. The huge disparities are enough of a reason for me to understand completely eliminating the death penalty. Also, in 2009, a poll commissioned by DPIC (Death Penalty Information Center), found police chiefs ranked the death penalty LAST among ways to reduce violent crime and the least efficient use of taxpayers money. If police chiefs can identify that the death penalty is not helpful as a deterrent and it is more of a waste of taxpayers money than other options, like life in prison without the possibility of parole, then WHY IN THE WORLD ARE WE CONTINUING TO SENTENCE PEOPLE TO DEATH?! The good news is, that the last fact that I found to be interesting is that the number of death sentences per year has dropped dramatically since 1999, when there were 279 death sentences, compared to 2015 when there were 49. Although it is great that the number of death sentences has dropped significantly, I still think that the other five facts that I mentioned give valid reason to exclude the death penalty as a punishment. At least until we can prove that we will sentence people to death fairly, and equitably. Until we are able to PROVE that race does not play a role in death sentences, or any other personal characteristic, like gender or sexual orientation, etc., we cannot allow the states to sentence people to death. I am thankful that our own corrupt state does not sentence people to death anymore, but I do not think that any state should be able to sentence people to death because we are clearly still discriminatory and unfair in enforcing it. Cards789
It is unfortunate that there is still racial bias within the borders of the U.S. We have long passed the days of segregation, and we are growing further and further away from the times of slavery. The Civil War was fought and blood was spilled to keep the Union intact, and in keeping the Union intact, the U.S. decided to abolish slavery. Treating anyone that doesn't look the same as the majority population is unethical and unjust. Louisiana's failure to keep an unbiased death penalty is disturbing. African Americans, or anyone for that matter should have a fair and just trial and race should not be factored into said trial. Black men in Louisiana are significantly more likely to be given the sentence of death than white men, while the victims race also plays a major role in determining the sentence received for the completion of a crime. An African American being fourteen times more likely to be given the death sentence for murdering a white victim is ludicrous. Factors such as reasoning behind the crime should be considered above the factor of race. If the consequent death of the victim was an accident or the defendant "murdered" someone in defense should be considered, among many other factors. These biased executions of African Americans will cause nothing but problems in the future. It does nothing to solve racial tensions that we have tried to mitigate since the Civil War and all other actions taken to generate equality for all American Citizens.
The death penalty is a topic that is highly talked about because there are so many issues with it. Some say it’s not ethical, but others believe in the good old saying “an eye for an eye”. Where I stand on the issue is that I do not think its ethical, or worth it. I read that “A Seattle University study examining the costs of the death penalty in Washington found that each death penalty case cost an average of $1 million more than a similar case where the death penalty was not sought.” Money is one of the issues I have with the death penalty. From this fact, it is clear to see that it would be cheaper to keep a person in prison than putting them to death. Not only is it more money, but it cost taxpayers 120 million dollars more for the death penalty. Why punish the tax payer when they did nothing wrong? Their money could have been saved if the death penalty did not exist. Also the fact that there have been many times when people have died for a crime they did not commit. Illinois did not ban the death penalty because they thought it was bad, but because of the innocent people they have put to death. I also believe that for the people who do commit the crime, it is the easy way out for them. They should have to live with the fact for what they did to put the on death row for the rest of their lives. bamboo456
It is rather interesting how there has been so much hatred in this country in regards to racial inequality under the law. However, this isn’t to be confused as everyone is innocent, in the case of Alfred Brown, who was Exonerated from Texas Death Row for the crimes he didn't commit. Alfred was suspected of killing an officer and a clerk. Though he was clearly not involved in the murders of these two people. Phone records were recovered that told the location and backing up his alibi alongside the backing of his girlfriend. Where this racial injustice becomes a problem is when Brown girlfriend was arrested with perjury for supporting the alibi and was booked for seven weeks until she would change her testimony. Brown was re-victimized once he was let out after 10 years. He applied for a $1.9 million cash compensation that was denied even though he was found innocent and that his case was tainted. It is interesting in the Glenn Ford, who suffered from terminal cancer and was denied his compensation and now a law has been passed to provide compensation for Ford’s family. Palmdaddy789
This website is an absolutely fascinating website and I feel like I could spend more time here than on social media sites and come out of it a lot more educated. The first thing that caught my attention was the amount of time that inmates actually spend on death row before execution. Michael Ross has been on death row for 17 years. It is common for people to send around a decade on death row and there have even been people there for over 20 years. The average time an inmate would spend in a cell is 23 hours a day. If you took that and multiplied it out to 20 years it would be around 167,000 hours total time spent alone in a cell. I would lose my mind if that were me. Another thing to look at is the education level of these inmates. Only nine percent have/had any college education, fourteen percent had less than an eight grade education. The median amount of education was twelfth grade. Education level is also important for police officers, while doing unrelated research I found that officers with at least an associate’s degree were far less likely to have incidents of community violence. I learned about crimes other than murder that can warrant the death penalty, it looked to be repeat sexual misconduct with minors. The cost of the death penalty is astonishing as well, in Kansas it cost $400,000 to provide a defense for the accused, whereas it only cost about $100,000 where the death penalty was not sought. If you took the 20 years some of these people spent on death row and applied it to how many hours they could have spent working, it would be $343,200 total at a minimum wage job. That is money that could be generated to boost our economy, but instead it’s spent providing a defense for someone that could eventually be proven innocent. California alone has spent 48 billion dollars on the death penalty since 1978. There is also a gap between the sexes with the death penalty. It is rarely enforced on women, yet it is frequently enforced when women are the victim. The first woman executed was Velma Barfield, and the last was Kelly Gissendaner. It took until 2002 for the death penalty to be declared unconstitutional for people with mental retardation, and yet it was in 1988 when it was declared unconstitutional for minors, even though their mental capabilities are about the same. My opinion on the death penalty is mixed. I do believe that there are many people who cannot be helped by our penal system, and are a danger to be kept alive. Once they are sentenced to life they do not care about any further punishment, as they will never be free again anyway. The media has made some stories about the death penalty seem almost heroic, with the criminals appearing to be the good guy. I think that these portrayals could be idolized and the offender would never even think that what he had done was wrong. However, with the continuing disparity in sentencing, and with race and gender playing a huge role in making the death penalty unequal, I do not think it should be used. I would rather keep a hundred guilty men alive for twenty years than sentence one innocent man to death. I also think that the cost of the death penalty is far too high to be reasonable. With overpopulation being a big thing in prisons right now and trying to cut costs, it doesn’t make sense to spend billions of dollars on something. Overall I think that there are circumstances where the death penalty is the only fit punishment for certain crimes, but until it can be applied equally and cost effectively, I do not think it should be used. Blues456
This website is really interesting I feel like I would take time out of my daily activities just to read up on what's new. The first thing that caught my eye was the Missouri execution drug supplier being sold after committing nearly 2,000 violations of pharmacy regulations. Inspectors from the FDA found that the drug compounder had committed violations of pharmacy regulations, including the following: engaging in questionable potency, disinfecting, and sterilization practices. Improper refrigeration, storage and sterilization. Also, they were found on putting improper expression dates on the drugs. I cannot believe that this was going on in a pharmacy, this could've turned out so bad. Messing with medications that people need to survive is just all around wrong, and so unprofessional. Especially messing with the drugs that deal with the lethal injection process. Whoever was behind this honestly needs to go to jail. One thing that really grinds my gears is that fact that race still and will probably forever play a role in the outcome of the criminal. It states that Jurors in Washington are three times more likely to recommend a death sentence for a black defendant than for a white defendant in a similar case. I really wish that's one thing that could change in the system.. so your more guilty if you're black than if you are white?HOW IS THAT JUSTIFIABLE!! Since 1973 more than 150 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. I look at that and think why couldn't their be more people? In our country we are so quick to jump up and lock someone up and throw away the key.. when some of the time people are really innocent, so most of the time we have innocent people sitting on death row or who are killed on death row.. and they died for no reason!! It's good to see that since 1999 the number of executions is going down.. not that I'm not for the death penalty, but it some situations it's just necessary. I thought it was interesting how it lists the upcoming executions all the way up to 2019. It's interesting that there are about 52 people being executed within the next three years, for some reason I thought it was going to be a lot more, but a lot of states are trying to steal away from the death penalty.. it's nice to see but it also concerns me at the same time. Are people who deserve the death penalty really getting what they deserve? It's a huge moral delima.I wish it would show you what the people scheduled to be executed did. The death penalty is something I think will forever be a hot topic in our country, since we are the most jailst nation in the world, there are so many people locked up for life or on death row who are actually innocent and the system failed them. Not saying there aren't people who actually deserve to be there. But i just don't think it's used the way it should be. Overall it's a huge discussion, but I don't think it should be used unless we are going to do it right. -dicaprio789
Retribution: “an eye for an eye”. Human nature doesn’t change. There are no new emotions or problems we are encountered with as a people. John Hospers had stated in one of his writings, Justice or Social Justice “Punishment should be proportional to the desert. The most serious crimes involving the worst injustices tend to be those that require the strongest deterrent measures.” I enjoy this quote. I’m not sure how much of a proponent he was but this sheds light on the topic well for me. By eliminating the death penalty, the masses no longer have to answer for the crime of murder. Not truly. The only way to exact justice is to have the punishment fit the crime. The only way to punish someone who has taken a life is to take their life in place of the life they took. Life in prison is still life. Even if the life sentence causes them great psychological harm it still doesn’t match the crime of murder. In some cases, the inmate is in an impoverished state and might live better than they did on the outside. Gang leader’s lives don’t skip a beat after they’re institutionalized (Pablo Escobar). They hustle just as much in prison as they did before they were put away. In the absence of a proper punishment there is no longer a reconsideration when taking another human life. States without the death penalty no longer have a general deterrence against the sin of murder. Just having the death penalty would and does save lives. S.C.O.T.U.S. says that the death penalty is not a violation of the 8th amendment. The victims are the ones without any rights. The death penalty is different from state to state. I suppose this gives the people of the U.S. a political ‘climate’ that they can be comfortable with. Kind of like when you live in Michigan and you want to be warm you move to Texas. Terrible analogy but all I have at this time. Unfortunately, ‘climate’ can be a consideration of the criminal element also. By not having the death penalty states can only hurt their standings with the general population. States can be adversely effected by their inability to have the death penalty available. For example: “Chiraq” (Chicago), IL. Thank you Gov. Pat Quinn. I think Quinn abolishing the death penalty in 2011 was a huge contributing factor to the amount of gun violence in the area. No death penalty plus the inability for law abiding citizens to have handguns (since 1982) gave gangs and criminals control of the streets. Until McDonald v. City of Chicago, (2010) and CCW in 2013 normal citizens were at a disadvantage for self-defense. Should the death penalty be abolished? Nope! In the present state of our union the death penalty is a much needed tool. Terrorism: foreign and domestic, Mass shootings/active shooters, and massive overcrowding in the prison system. There are some good arguments out there that the death penalty is more expensive than life in prison. Death penalty in prison only applies to the ‘lifers’, the worst of the worst who are incarcerated. Here is the thing: The minute you start questioning the system and using it in an ala carte fashion it weakens. When it shows weakness its exploited. When it’s exploited the population loses trust. When the population loses trust you lose the population. To close: Charlie Manson (incarcerated in 1969, died in 2015) was given life in prison with parole. While his victims were worm food he got to go in front of the parole board and tell his stories with a chance of freedom.The framers of our constitution didn’t remove/change the death penalty. The death penalty provides closure for the victims. Questions brought up by this blog assignment for me personally were: 1. If inmates are put to death there is no chance of redemption. I suppose that’s why church and state are separated. Pearls to swine? 2. Is depriving an individual of their liberties and letting them rot in prison ‘cruel and unusual punishment’? “Is all the world Jails and Churches?” Vietnow, Zach de la Rocha//////Doberman789
That first paragraph that popped up was talking about how the man who was on death row was on it for 35 years and there was no hard physical evidence that even proved he did it. Does not make sense if there is no tangible evidence. And since 1973 150 people were released from death row with evidence of their innocence. Looks like there might be a problem here. Luckily it does look like they are getting rid of it. But on the other side, we are housing these people for crimes that they committed that will keep them in prison for the rest of their lives. Shouldn't we get rid of the ones that absolutely need it so we do not have to keep supporting them? There are a lot of statistics on this website and is very cool to go through and read. It all is very interesting stuff. I thought it was cool seeing the death sentencing go from 295 in 1998 to 49 in 2015. It dropped dramatically in 17 years. I know around that time was when get tough on crime was going on. So this could maybe be a good thing knowing that the death sentencing is on a decline. -Ibanez789
when I read that max had to suffer for so long made my heart hurt. Not only did he have to suffer as a child from fetus alcohol syndrome he had to spend is last adult years in prison. I feel as he only confessed to police only after hours of coercive questioning, because he got tired og getting ask the same question over and over.I probably would of confessed just to get them out my hair.On a nother note why is max in there anyway if they have no physical evidence that links him to the crime.I feel as the police and detective got lazy and just picked him knowing he wouldn't pass his interrogation with the lack of intelligence.Just bandfuls me how in lousiana they give the blacks death penalty faster than the whites all crimes should be treared the same don't matter what the color of the skin. shaylavon789
I believe the death penalty should be revised in every state. It should be handed out equally and fairly regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, and financial status. They've put to many innocent people to death or people who may not have deserved such a punishment. Like we've talked about in class In Illinois they reviewed 100 cases of people on the death penalty and approxamently 80 of them where corrupted in some way shape or form. That should never be the case when sentencing someone to death by a court of law. The death penalty should always be given out fairly in every state and until that's able to happen no state should be able to use the death penalty. ~Caz789
I read that Max Soffar died while he was on death row and for being there for falsely testifying. I can't believe that he was so close to getting his retrial but died days before it happened. Also that he didn't get his rights was pretty bad especially since they found that he didn't commit the murder. Beyond me as to why he said he did though. The next one that I read was about how bad the racial disparities are when it comes to death row. Black people have it several times worse compared to white people. I saw that there are 30 times many death sentences for black people compared to white people. I read the one that had to deal with Arizona and the death of Landigran and how he was wrongfully committed and killed by lethal injection. They found the evidence that he didn't commit the crime and he died for nothing. I read the one that about the guy who found out that North Carolina was found to be unconstitutionally convicting people for the death penalty. I like how he challenged that acts and won by a landslide. I then read the one about how Missouri was not taking care of their lethal injections and going aginst all of the regulations that Missouri had to lethal injections. Whoever was doing that should be fired and probably taken to court because no one knows how long the person and or people were doing that for. And the last trend that I read had to deal with Bobby Moore and how being intellectually disabled was a way around the death penalty or gives a little bit of reason for it not being held to law. Also I like how this trend brought up Lennie from Of Mice and Men. ICCRunner789
ReplyDeleteI read the article about the death penalty in Louisiana. I don't think its right, if you are black or poor, how it can be easy for you to get the death penalty. I do think if you do a major crime, like murder or something like that, you should do your time. But, no death penalty just because you are poor or black. I believe black and poor people are more likely to do the most major crime. So, they are more likely to be given the death penalty. I do think it's better, since some states have gotten away from the death penalty. I know so many innocent people have been sentenced to death, and was innocent. If a poor or black person keep doing the same major crime they do, they will be on there last strik, and they are likely to be looking at the death chair. I don't think its fair how poor and black people get treated, when it comes to the sentencing. They might not have the money to get them a good lawyer, but that don't been treat them like they aren't nothing to us. They still deserve a fair trial and fair sentencing. I think that's why when it comes to court, people plea, because they know they don't have the money to help them out. And, they know they possibly could get a lesser time, if they plea guilty. It's sad, and it needs to be changed. There will always be crime. Death for a certain type of crime isn't right.
ReplyDeletePolice456
Knowing what I know now about the death penalty, I definitely do not believe in it. Like you said, it is very unfair for people to get sentenced to death just because of their race, or economic status. That is abuse of power on the courts part, and if they can not be fair in the way they sentence the death penalty should be made illegal in all states. And like you said, sometimes people just do not have the money for a good lawyer, and it is sad that the status of a person's lawyer determines what kind of sentencing people get, because sentencing someone to death wrongly is almost as bad as putting an innocent person to death, because however guilty a person is, if they are put on death row wrongly that is taking a person's life away. I also like what you said at the end about death being a type of crime too. Should we really be putting someone to death, because that is a crime, killing another human being is a crime and I don't personally understand how that is any more ethical that what the person did, to get sentenced to death. Piglet456
DeleteThe black and the poor typically just don't have the resources or the money to plead their case well. They get stuck with some low paid rookie who doesn't really care about their case because he/she is just trying to get through the case before lunch, and the only reason he/she took the case is because it was the first one they found and they need to pay off that big school loan they have. The death penalty is way too faulty to still be used. If there are any cases at all of innocent people being put to death then that should be the end of it. How many innocent lives will we take before we fix it? I like what you said about killing being a crime. In the court's eyes, killing someone for killing someone makes sense. Let's solve a crime by committing the same crime, but not calling it a crime because we are in power and say so. Sounds logical to me.
Delete-Leilani789
The topic of the death penalty is such a controversial topic, it is almost impossible to not find interesting things related to it. I personally found the statistics given in the article to be very interesting. “More than 80% of the 241 death sentences imposed in Louisiana since 1976 have been reversed on appeal, and one death row prisoner has been exonerated for every three executions in the state.” I think this is a bit worrisome, if people are being sent to death row their cases should be airtight. There should be no question that, that person on death row committed the crime in question, and if the sentence can be reversed why are they there in the first place? I also found the facts about racial disparity to be asstonishing, I believe that if sentencing of a crime can not be determined in a way where race is not an issues, states have no right giving out the death penalty. If an African-American commited a crime worthy of the death penalty and was sentenced to death row, and a white person committed the same crime but did not get sentenced to death row that is just wrong, there should not be that kind of disparity when a person's life is on the line. I also found it quite horrifying that Jeffrey Landrigan was executed, even though two weeks before his execution DNA evidence was found that did not link him to the crime. That is a wrongful death and it should have been stopped. I believe that even if there is the slightest chance a person is innocent the death penalty should be withheld until further evidence is found. Not only that, but is is extremely expensive to put a person to death there have been many instances where the death penalty has been misused or put in effect for the wrong person, spending taxpayer dollars to put people to death, when they don't even belong on death row in the first place. I personally do not believe in the death penalty and I never have. I do think there are people who should never be let back out into the world again because they are terrible people, but I think there is just too many variables where the death penalty is concerned. What if an innocent person is put to death or what if someone was sentenced to death row just because of implicit bias. Death can not be undone and I don’t think it is the court's right to take someone’s life away. Piglet456
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you in the fact that the death penalty should be abolished. The racial disparity is just absurd. An African american who commits a crime should get the same punishment as a white person who commits the exact same crime. Life without parole is a better way to go about punishing people because they will never come back into society and it is a lot cheaper. This also saves a lot of innocent people from dying as well.
DeleteCountryGirl789
I agree that the death penalty should be banned. Race is a huge issue in the criminal justice system. If people commit the same crime they should both do the same time no matter what skin color they have. Banning the death penalty will help with the race issue, innocent people being put to death, and money.
Deletebamboo456
All these stories really show you the fine line that needs to be followed when dealing with the death penalty. There were a couple of them that were mainly debated about the DNA. The one man from Arizona that now lives in Tennessee was on death row but is now free because the DNA found on the victims shirt was not his. One of the articles talked about how there was a voting on you cant send a person to death without DNA proof. That is an amazing idea. DNA is one of the best findings in investigation it has helped many people get out of hot water and it has helped many criminals be put behind bars. Another one of the articles discussed how the pharmaceutical business was screwing with the drugs that were used for lethal injection. There was improper storage improper dosage mishandling the drugs not doing the right compound. I work in a pharmacy and I know that everything has to be just right or it could be disastrous those inmates could end up suffering for hours without dieing if the compound isn't mixed right or stored properly. The cost of keeping these criminals in death row is astonishing. Not only do you have to house them but they need to go to court they need to travel all the time you have to pay the salary of the workers. Its extremely hard to determine the price of all the inmates. The mental state of the inmates plays a big role in deciding the death penalty or not. One judge described the man as Lennie from of mice and men. Godzilla789
ReplyDeleteThe first article I chose was about the trial of Kenneth Fults. After pleading guilty he was charged with murder in Georgia and received the death penalty. It was said by Fults’ lawyer that his sentence was unfair due to racial bias. They disregarded the fact that Fults’ has an intellectual disability and that he was severely abused by his family and others. I think this is extremely unfair. He should obviously get a long sentence in prison considering he admitted to committing the crime. However, I do not believe he should receive the death sentence given his intellectual disability. Especially since there is clearly racial bias going on because the judge used harsh racist language towards Fults’. The second article I read was about 150 nations rejecting the death penalty such as Mongolia while others still practice it. I found it very interesting that China, the United States, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia had the most executions from 2013 to 2014. I really don’t think it is fair that all states don’t practice the same beliefs when it comes to the death penalty. Someone in Mongolia could have been guilty for the exact same crime as someone in China, but yet the person living in China must die for the crime they committed. The third article I read was about a man named Anthony Graves being convicted for a crime he did not commit in 1994. It wasn’t until 2010 that he was exonerated for the crime. I think that it’s ridiculous that it took this long for the truth to come out and for justice to be served. What makes the situation worse is that the prosecutor Charles Sebesta’s law license was taken away, however he was able to get it back by saying that the ruling was on technical grounds. This is extremely unsettling to know that someone can get away with wrongly prosecuting someone for years and years and not even be punished for it. Not just that, but think of how many other “mistakes” he will make in the future knowing he got away with it previously. Twal456
ReplyDeleteThe death penalty is a debated topic in our country for many years now on whether it should be allowed or not. There have been way too many cases where a person was put on death row or even executed and later they found evidence to overturn the conviction. That happened in the case of Kevin Cooper in California where he was four hours away from putting him to death and his appeal was overturned. I think that the death penalty could be a good thing because there are truly bad people out there that need the strictest punishment out there, but if that means innocent people will die in the process than the death penalty should not be used until there is basically no way that it was someone else. The other problem is the cost of these cases; Arizona estimated the cost of these cases to be around 7 million when it finally comes to an end. So not only do they have a problem with exonerating people but the cases cost a lot as well. Birdman789
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that their has been too many innocent people put on death row or executed. We need to review cases more carefully and look over them before the person is executed. I agree with the death penally being good thing because their are bad people out there who deserve it but there are way too many innocent people being wrongly convicted. dragons789
DeleteI love that you brought up the price of an actual 'death sentence' its PRICEY :) Apparently there is an argument that it is cheaper for the convicted to serve a life sentence in prison then be executed. I wonder how much money Texas spends a year executing murderers? Have they streamlined the process or just take a huge financial hit to exact justice? Doberman789
DeleteAfter searching through this website i found several interesting facts. Some that stuck out to me were the botched executions. These were stories about people who were being executed and it went horribly wrong. One example was in 1983, a man named John Evans was being executed by electrocution and according to witnesses present at the execution they said: "sparks and flames erupted from the electrode attached to Evans's leg. The electrode burst from the strap holding it in place and caught on fire. Smoke and sparks also came out from under the hood in the vicinity of Evans's left temple. Two physicians entered the chamber and found a heartbeat. The electrode was reattached to his leg, and another jolt of electricity was applied. This resulted in more smoke and burning flesh. Again the doctors found a heartbeat. Ignoring the pleas of Evans's lawyer, a third jolt of electricity was applied. The execution took 14 minutes and left Evans's body charred and smoldering." This was horrible and honestly a little disgusting to read this just further proves that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. Another thing that stuck out to me was the story about Max Soffar who was innocent and spent 35 years on death row until he later died from cancer. The worst part about this was he died just days before his innocence hearing. The fact that we have innocent people on death row is appalling and is just another reason why it needs to be abolished. If innocent people are dying while those who actually committed a crime are still out there in the world, it is time for a change.
ReplyDeleteCountryGirl789
Innocent people on death row is not uncommon apparently, Illinois had enough trouble with sentencing innocent people that they had to abolish the death penalty completely. I think that until they prove that there is not possible way someone else could have done the crime than I believe that the death penalty is useful. The problem is it isn’t reliable right now so it should not be used. Birdman789
DeleteThe death penally has been a very talked about subject in the US for many years. There has been many cases where people have been put on death row or even executed and later found out they were innocent. We need to review a case before we execute them so we can put a stop to executing innocent people. One example that caught my attention was that 80% of the 241 death sentences give in Louisiana sine 1976 have been reversed. That is about 193 inmates that have been wrongly convicted in just one state. If you compare the numbers with all 50 states the numbers of wrongly convicted people on death row would be shocking. I think the death penalty is a useful tool because it keeps some people from committing severe crimes because they know they could get the ultimate punishment. I think we need to review the cases again before a person gets executed because too many innocent people are being executed. dragons789
ReplyDeleteI agree! It's just sick like are we really to judge or feel like someone on the street in the a serial killer. I feel like people who sentence the people to death row are to be honest. I bet they don't even look for enough facts and evidence to hope to someone who is innocent. That's probably why some states don't have the death penalty anymore. DaBulls456
DeleteI agree, we should take utmost care in deciding the fate of an individual. Death is like you said the ultimate punishment and that kind of sentence should be considered if there is complete proof that someone has committed a horrendous crime such as murder. There are many factors that should be taken into account before someone's life is whisked away from this world.
DeleteSilverado789
Anymore, we as people have a tendency to forget the phrase "Beyond a reasonable doubt" and it appears in all these cases there has been doubt and in many cases the evidence comes out way too late. If we invest in locking someone up and spending more money on taking a life we better do it right, because it is cheaper to incarcerate someone than to do the death penalty.
DeletePalmdaddy789
After looking at several sections of this there where many interesting statistics and facts but only a few caught my the most. The first thing that I looked at was who was being sentenced to death row. It really surprised me on many states still have the death penalty. California is the highest on death row but why that many people and I bet half of those inmates are on death row for something that doesn't meet the requirements for the death penalty. Another thing that was super interesting was the upcoming dates to executions dates. It actually shows you what days the executions are, they give the persons name and they also state on how they basically want to die. I thought that was so interesting because I feel like some of this stuff should've been private or not be released. What I thought was the most interesting about that was that it already shows who is getting executed in the next 3 years. It comes to show that the database it comes to have how race can play a big role in that. In 2015 barley 50 people were sentenced to death row and that's not only in one state that's all over. In one graph it shows the percentage of different races that were sentenced. 43% of Blacks, 33% of whites, 16% of Latinos and 4% of Asians. I honestly think that most of the executions are mainly people who live in poverty and the poor. It still surprises that a lot of people who are sentenced to death row shouldn't be sentenced. It's just sad to see many live go over something that shouldn't sentence them. Overall this site was very interesting to read and look over. DaBulls456
ReplyDeleteI read the article on the California death row prisoner, what it's like to almost be executed. It is astonishing the way the officers treated the prisoner. As if his upcoming death wasn't punishment enough for the crime he may or may not have committed, they then also had to ridicule and tease him. Asking him if he wanted a tombstone pizza for his last meal and telling him that the photos of his dead body would be the last photos that the world would ever see of him. Also the fact that he was there, under that punishment was odd enough. The only witness of the crime, the deceased's eight year old son, said that three white or hispanic men had killed his parents. Cooper is black. The son told his grandmother and the sheriff's deputy that Cooper was not one of the killers after seeing his picture on the news. The son was the only eye witness so how did they get around that? It doesn't say anything about whether or not they found evidence Cooper had left behind, but the son saying it wasn't him seems like a huge deal.
ReplyDelete-Leilani789
That story seems to me like it needs to be further investigated more and I’m guessing you do to by the way you wrote it. it’s a shame that no one is listening to the only eye witness and just going off what they think should be done and not the right things.
DeleteJfl789
As a non-supporter of the death penalty, the fact that there has been clear evidence of discrimination in these reports appalls me. The death penalty solves nothing. The idea of killing someone who has committed a crime no matter what it is, should be out of our jurisdiction. Although it is our right as a society to help apprehend and convict those who do wrong, but we need to come up with a more effective system of doing so. The death penalty in the past have not been effective in deterring criminal acts. The disparity between the demographics inmates sentenced to death row is a crime in itself. In cases where a Caucasian person was victimized by an African American offender the case was over 9 times more likely to result in the death penalty than if the roles were swapped. This I believe is stemmed from a long history of racial inequality in the Criminal Justice System similar to the corruption found in Illinois criminal justice system. Where they falsified evidence to have particular races sentenced to death. This report states that just in Illinois alone 20 people have been exonerated from their death sentences. 26 have been exonerated in the state of Florida which on January 1, 2016 had four inmates short of 400 people waiting to be executed on death row. Even speaking hypothetically, it would be hard to imagine of those nearly 400 how many of them could be wrongly accused. In the Lake Research Partners 2010 poll two-thirds of voters said that they would choose an alternative to the death penalty. The death penalty is not as much as an easy fix as people think it may be and with sentences dropping greatly from 295 to 49 in the last 17 years has become an impractical punitive outlet. Scooby789
ReplyDeleteThe 'learned' behaviors that people adapt to in time periods like these are a tragedy. It seems in many of these cases, that it will take the courts 20 to 30 years before they actually find the individual innocent. And surely the original people involved in the conviction hearing are long gone or moved on to retirement. The arrogance of a court is only as long-lasting as the people who force the accusations. I will say there needs to be far better reviews of evidence and in ways I hope the technology coming out and that eyes everything these days will correct this. The US is right next to Iran in cases of government-assisted murder. One has held the most rapidly evolving government ever seen and the other holds a 2,000 year old book as its practice of law with the clerics being the judges on behalf of a godhead. So similar for such polar opposites. - StrongArm789
DeleteThe death penalty is a topic of right or good any way you look at if you are for it or against it. A big part of that is the fact that today the death penalty is completed in a unfair and unjust way. And by the constant flow of states not allowing it could be said that it has never been down fairly. The chance of getting the death penalty is very low for a few factor on being its becoming less acceptable. Second is the most common way to get the death penalty is committing first degree murder with many aggravating circumstances most states say at least in to the teens. All the victims in offenders put to death this current year are all white and most of the offenders have been white inmates also and the last trend I saw here that was fascinating is the fact of most have been in prison for 17 years with just 3 of the 13 inmates put to death shorter than that.
ReplyDeleteJfl789
I agree the death penalty is unfair. This is the reason why I think it should not be used. With the death penalty existing in this complicate bureaucracy, it creates too much room for error. Just take a look at all the people that have been wrongfully executed, or put on death row and their lives have been ruined. Having risks for killing the wrong person, is enough to label the system as "unfair". The death penalty is also contradictory to our societal beliefs. We look against to the taking of a life , but yet we have the death penalty, and others such as abortion, that take lives.
DeleteMusic 456
It's odd to notice that this whole site revolves around current trends and info in regards to capital punishment all over the country. Topics on the first page alone were botched lethal injections, drug suppliers, or the execution of the intellectually disabled. Relaying this info to the public is a genius way to openly share any state's involvement. Second was 'Executions Scheduled for 2016.' A month-to-month calendar which tells you when executions will be carried out, throughout 2019. The dates are sometimes changed or show which states have issued reprieves. I became confused when I came across that Ohio was not able to obtain new drugs. The shortage of sodium thiopental is due to the only company who created it declaring that they were ceasing all manufacturing of it. This forces 35 states to scramble up the remaining doses until a new concoction is declared legally lethal. Charts with executed inmates' names and drugs used upon their death can also be viewed. Thirdly, there is a US map showing who has the DP and who does not, along with current moratorium. The bottom shows dates ranging from 1846 to 2012, for the years certain states barred capital punishment. 'Juveniles and the DP' is next (the final two chapters of our book all neatly rolled into one category). During the modern era, 1973, you can view that 22 individuals have been executed for crimes committed at the time being classified as a juvenile. That's a bit disturbing, regardless of the crime, and makes me think of George Stinney's case in '44. One boy even convicted at 16. Ages when sentenced to death sway between 23-28. Five alive for the trends that relate to the sense and quality of life for those who may have been wrongfully accused. These were found in the 'Resources' drop-down. 'Testimony, Resolutions, Statements, and Speeches on the DP' reveal those government officials or advocacy groups or religious institutions who write to express their concern for the nation's involvement. “Write your local politician” came to thought. Reading a few PDF files sheds light on why these speeches and arguments are made. What constitutes as human rights and what defines cruel and unusual punishment are hot topics and debates that do leave lasting impressions. Having found myself dancing around inside of this site I chose to check out the 'Staff and Board of Directors.' This final thought allows the public to know that there are capital litigators, prestigious lawyers, and advocate groups with plenty of awards fighting behind the curtains, daily. This group holds a knowledge unmatched to any other site I could find and it is beneficial for their directive to be openly expressed. The DP has a sordid past, we know this. The trend spiked and already it is declining again because it has caused more harm than good. Some justice has been achieved for a few families and communities facing murderers, kidnappers, and rapists, but the common course seems set to disaster. Many times circumstantial evidence is enough and forces a few individuals, who shouldn't even be inmates in the first place, the burdens of an invisible demon. We can't bring back the errors of the system, however, we can learn from them. - StrongArm789
ReplyDeleteThe death penalty is a very diverse, and complex issue. My two main concerns are, "is it ethical" and "is it fair". We live in a society that values life, and protects the loss of life. There is a group of society that defends abortion. Society as a whole defines killing as an inherent wrong, and something that will be punished. I feel that the death penalty first of all, isn't ethical. If the death penalty could be executed swiftly and effectively, I may be in favor. But the bureaucracy, in the system is to blame. Too many times do we see innocent people being put on death row, and even killed. I saw the example of Maxx Soffar. There was credible reasons to belive that he was innocent of his crimes. He spent 35 years on death row. It turned out he passed away and wasn't executed, but it just goes to show how unfair the system can be, and is a reason in and of itself, why we should not have the death penalty. Simply the risk of having a person wrongfully killed, is enough for me to throw out my support. Because of the possibility of major error, the death penalty isn't fair. To highlight the unfairness even more, you can look at studies that have been done, to show the mass reversal in cases. For example, in Louisiana about 80% of 241 cases were reversed from death row. This means, that there was at-least something that pointed to innocence. Without those reversals you could have had innocent people being killed. You can even look at the case of Joseph Wood, who had a failed injection, but still died. He was killed by the state of Arizona despite numerous negative DNA tests. I think I have shown that the system has the chance to be unfair to individuals, and therefore not be used. I dont think the death penalty is ethical. If someone commits a murder, I do think they should die. But it just isn't the way to go. Our society sees murder and killing wrong. That is what exactly is taking place with the death penalty. It may no be "murdering" but we are taking a life.
ReplyDeleteMusic 456
I agree with you that the way the system carries out the death penalty currently is unfair. Until there is solid proof that discrimination does not occur when deciding what type of punishment to give offenders, I do not believe any state should be able to carry out the death penalty. Taking someone's life, in my opinion, constitutes the death penalty, BUT when race, gender, or other personal characteristics are part of the reason why or why not someone is given the death penalty, THEN NO ONE SHOULD GET IT. Cards789
DeleteThere were six facts that stood out to me as I looked over the page. To start, in 96% of states where there have been reviews of race and death penalty, there was a pattern of race-of-victim or race-of-defendant or both. This means that almost 100% of the time, RACE played a part in whether or not the death penalty was given as punishment. Considering ONLY that fact, it seems preposterous to me that the death penalty is still an option. The second thing I noticed was that since 1973, more than 150 people have been released from death row with evidence of innocence. If innocent people have been released from death row with evidence, how many innocent people have already been put to death before they were able to find evidence of their innocence?! We should not be killing innocent people. If it is even a possibility, we should not do it, which is another reason why the death penalty should not be a punishment. The third fact that I found for an even bigger reason to not have the death penalty as punishment is the following: A study in California found that those who killed whites were over 3 times more likely to be sentenced to death than those who killed blacks and over 4 times more likely than those who killed Latinos. Again, this statistic shows the corruption within the system revolving around the death penalty. If the race of the victim or the defendant plays a role in whether or not someone is sentenced to death, WE SHOULD NOT BE ENFORCING IT ON ANYONE! Fourth shocking fact that supports the idea that death penalty should be eliminated: 31 people have been sentenced to death when the defendant was white and the victim was black, but 297 people were sentenced to death when the defendant was black and the victim was white. This fourth statistic is just another one to add to the list of race playing a role when deciding whether or not to sentence someone to death. The huge disparities are enough of a reason for me to understand completely eliminating the death penalty. Also, in 2009, a poll commissioned by DPIC (Death Penalty Information Center), found police chiefs ranked the death penalty LAST among ways to reduce violent crime and the least efficient use of taxpayers money. If police chiefs can identify that the death penalty is not helpful as a deterrent and it is more of a waste of taxpayers money than other options, like life in prison without the possibility of parole, then WHY IN THE WORLD ARE WE CONTINUING TO SENTENCE PEOPLE TO DEATH?! The good news is, that the last fact that I found to be interesting is that the number of death sentences per year has dropped dramatically since 1999, when there were 279 death sentences, compared to 2015 when there were 49. Although it is great that the number of death sentences has dropped significantly, I still think that the other five facts that I mentioned give valid reason to exclude the death penalty as a punishment. At least until we can prove that we will sentence people to death fairly, and equitably. Until we are able to PROVE that race does not play a role in death sentences, or any other personal characteristic, like gender or sexual orientation, etc., we cannot allow the states to sentence people to death. I am thankful that our own corrupt state does not sentence people to death anymore, but I do not think that any state should be able to sentence people to death because we are clearly still discriminatory and unfair in enforcing it. Cards789
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that there is still racial bias within the borders of the U.S. We have long passed the days of segregation, and we are growing further and further away from the times of slavery. The Civil War was fought and blood was spilled to keep the Union intact, and in keeping the Union intact, the U.S. decided to abolish slavery. Treating anyone that doesn't look the same as the majority population is unethical and unjust. Louisiana's failure to keep an unbiased death penalty is disturbing. African Americans, or anyone for that matter should have a fair and just trial and race should not be factored into said trial. Black men in Louisiana are significantly more likely to be given the sentence of death than white men, while the victims race also plays a major role in determining the sentence received for the completion of a crime. An African American being fourteen times more likely to be given the death sentence for murdering a white victim is ludicrous. Factors such as reasoning behind the crime should be considered above the factor of race. If the consequent death of the victim was an accident or the defendant "murdered" someone in defense should be considered, among many other factors. These biased executions of African Americans will cause nothing but problems in the future. It does nothing to solve racial tensions that we have tried to mitigate since the Civil War and all other actions taken to generate equality for all American Citizens.
ReplyDeleteSilverado789
The death penalty is a topic that is highly talked about because there are so many issues with it. Some say it’s not ethical, but others believe in the good old saying “an eye for an eye”. Where I stand on the issue is that I do not think its ethical, or worth it. I read that “A Seattle University study examining the costs of the death penalty in Washington found that each death penalty case cost an average of $1 million more than a similar case where the death penalty was not sought.” Money is one of the issues I have with the death penalty. From this fact, it is clear to see that it would be cheaper to keep a person in prison than putting them to death. Not only is it more money, but it cost taxpayers 120 million dollars more for the death penalty. Why punish the tax payer when they did nothing wrong? Their money could have been saved if the death penalty did not exist. Also the fact that there have been many times when people have died for a crime they did not commit. Illinois did not ban the death penalty because they thought it was bad, but because of the innocent people they have put to death. I also believe that for the people who do commit the crime, it is the easy way out for them. They should have to live with the fact for what they did to put the on death row for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeletebamboo456
It is rather interesting how there has been so much hatred in this country in regards to racial inequality under the law. However, this isn’t to be confused as everyone is innocent, in the case of Alfred Brown, who was Exonerated from Texas Death Row for the crimes he didn't commit. Alfred was suspected of killing an officer and a clerk. Though he was clearly not involved in the murders of these two people. Phone records were recovered that told the location and backing up his alibi alongside the backing of his girlfriend. Where this racial injustice becomes a problem is when Brown girlfriend was arrested with perjury for supporting the alibi and was booked for seven weeks until she would change her testimony. Brown was re-victimized once he was let out after 10 years. He applied for a $1.9 million cash compensation that was denied even though he was found innocent and that his case was tainted.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting in the Glenn Ford, who suffered from terminal cancer and was denied his compensation and now a law has been passed to provide compensation for Ford’s family.
Palmdaddy789
This website is an absolutely fascinating website and I feel like I could spend more time here than on social media sites and come out of it a lot more educated. The first thing that caught my attention was the amount of time that inmates actually spend on death row before execution. Michael Ross has been on death row for 17 years. It is common for people to send around a decade on death row and there have even been people there for over 20 years. The average time an inmate would spend in a cell is 23 hours a day. If you took that and multiplied it out to 20 years it would be around 167,000 hours total time spent alone in a cell. I would lose my mind if that were me. Another thing to look at is the education level of these inmates. Only nine percent have/had any college education, fourteen percent had less than an eight grade education. The median amount of education was twelfth grade. Education level is also important for police officers, while doing unrelated research I found that officers with at least an associate’s degree were far less likely to have incidents of community violence. I learned about crimes other than murder that can warrant the death penalty, it looked to be repeat sexual misconduct with minors. The cost of the death penalty is astonishing as well, in Kansas it cost $400,000 to provide a defense for the accused, whereas it only cost about $100,000 where the death penalty was not sought. If you took the 20 years some of these people spent on death row and applied it to how many hours they could have spent working, it would be $343,200 total at a minimum wage job. That is money that could be generated to boost our economy, but instead it’s spent providing a defense for someone that could eventually be proven innocent. California alone has spent 48 billion dollars on the death penalty since 1978. There is also a gap between the sexes with the death penalty. It is rarely enforced on women, yet it is frequently enforced when women are the victim. The first woman executed was Velma Barfield, and the last was Kelly Gissendaner. It took until 2002 for the death penalty to be declared unconstitutional for people with mental retardation, and yet it was in 1988 when it was declared unconstitutional for minors, even though their mental capabilities are about the same.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on the death penalty is mixed. I do believe that there are many people who cannot be helped by our penal system, and are a danger to be kept alive. Once they are sentenced to life they do not care about any further punishment, as they will never be free again anyway. The media has made some stories about the death penalty seem almost heroic, with the criminals appearing to be the good guy. I think that these portrayals could be idolized and the offender would never even think that what he had done was wrong. However, with the continuing disparity in sentencing, and with race and gender playing a huge role in making the death penalty unequal, I do not think it should be used. I would rather keep a hundred guilty men alive for twenty years than sentence one innocent man to death. I also think that the cost of the death penalty is far too high to be reasonable. With overpopulation being a big thing in prisons right now and trying to cut costs, it doesn’t make sense to spend billions of dollars on something. Overall I think that there are circumstances where the death penalty is the only fit punishment for certain crimes, but until it can be applied equally and cost effectively, I do not think it should be used.
Blues456
This website is really interesting I feel like I would take time out of my daily activities just to read up on what's new. The first thing that caught my eye was the Missouri execution drug supplier being sold after committing nearly 2,000 violations of pharmacy regulations. Inspectors from the FDA found that the drug compounder had committed violations of pharmacy regulations, including the following: engaging in questionable potency, disinfecting, and sterilization practices. Improper refrigeration, storage and sterilization. Also, they were found on putting improper expression dates on the drugs. I cannot believe that this was going on in a pharmacy, this could've turned out so bad. Messing with medications that people need to survive is just all around wrong, and so unprofessional. Especially messing with the drugs that deal with the lethal injection process. Whoever was behind this honestly needs to go to jail. One thing that really grinds my gears is that fact that race still and will probably forever play a role in the outcome of the criminal. It states that Jurors in Washington are three times more likely to recommend a death sentence for a black defendant than for a white defendant in a similar case. I really wish that's one thing that could change in the system.. so your more guilty if you're black than if you are white?HOW IS THAT JUSTIFIABLE!! Since 1973 more than 150 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence. I look at that and think why couldn't their be more people? In our country we are so quick to jump up and lock someone up and throw away the key.. when some of the time people are really innocent, so most of the time we have innocent people sitting on death row or who are killed on death row.. and they died for no reason!! It's good to see that since 1999 the number of executions is going down.. not that I'm not for the death penalty, but it some situations it's just necessary. I thought it was interesting how it lists the upcoming executions all the way up to 2019. It's interesting that there are about 52 people being executed within the next three years, for some reason I thought it was going to be a lot more, but a lot of states are trying to steal away from the death penalty.. it's nice to see but it also concerns me at the same time. Are people who deserve the death penalty really getting what they deserve? It's a huge moral delima.I wish it would show you what the people scheduled to be executed did. The death penalty is something I think will forever be a hot topic in our country, since we are the most jailst nation in the world, there are so many people locked up for life or on death row who are actually innocent and the system failed them. Not saying there aren't people who actually deserve to be there. But i just don't think it's used the way it should be. Overall it's a huge discussion, but I don't think it should be used unless we are going to do it right. -dicaprio789
ReplyDeleteRetribution: “an eye for an eye”. Human nature doesn’t change. There are no new emotions or problems we are encountered with as a people. John Hospers had stated in one of his writings, Justice or Social Justice “Punishment should be proportional to the desert. The most serious crimes involving the worst injustices tend to be those that require the strongest deterrent measures.” I enjoy this quote. I’m not sure how much of a proponent he was but this sheds light on the topic well for me. By eliminating the death penalty, the masses no longer have to answer for the crime of murder. Not truly. The only way to exact justice is to have the punishment fit the crime. The only way to punish someone who has taken a life is to take their life in place of the life they took. Life in prison is still life. Even if the life sentence causes them great psychological harm it still doesn’t match the crime of murder. In some cases, the inmate is in an impoverished state and might live better than they did on the outside. Gang leader’s lives don’t skip a beat after they’re institutionalized (Pablo Escobar). They hustle just as much in prison as they did before they were put away. In the absence of a proper punishment there is no longer a reconsideration when taking another human life. States without the death penalty no longer have a general deterrence against the sin of murder. Just having the death penalty would and does save lives. S.C.O.T.U.S. says that the death penalty is not a violation of the 8th amendment. The victims are the ones without any rights. The death penalty is different from state to state. I suppose this gives the people of the U.S. a political ‘climate’ that they can be comfortable with. Kind of like when you live in Michigan and you want to be warm you move to Texas. Terrible analogy but all I have at this time. Unfortunately, ‘climate’ can be a consideration of the criminal element also. By not having the death penalty states can only hurt their standings with the general population. States can be adversely effected by their inability to have the death penalty available. For example: “Chiraq” (Chicago), IL. Thank you Gov. Pat Quinn. I think Quinn abolishing the death penalty in 2011 was a huge contributing factor to the amount of gun violence in the area. No death penalty plus the inability for law abiding citizens to have handguns (since 1982) gave gangs and criminals control of the streets. Until McDonald v. City of Chicago, (2010) and CCW in 2013 normal citizens were at a disadvantage for self-defense. Should the death penalty be abolished? Nope! In the present state of our union the death penalty is a much needed tool. Terrorism: foreign and domestic, Mass shootings/active shooters, and massive overcrowding in the prison system. There are some good arguments out there that the death penalty is more expensive than life in prison. Death penalty in prison only applies to the ‘lifers’, the worst of the worst who are incarcerated. Here is the thing: The minute you start questioning the system and using it in an ala carte fashion it weakens. When it shows weakness its exploited. When it’s exploited the population loses trust. When the population loses trust you lose the population. To close: Charlie Manson (incarcerated in 1969, died in 2015) was given life in prison with parole. While his victims were worm food he got to go in front of the parole board and tell his stories with a chance of freedom.The framers of our constitution didn’t remove/change the death penalty. The death penalty provides closure for the victims. Questions brought up by this blog assignment for me personally were: 1. If inmates are put to death there is no chance of redemption. I suppose that’s why church and state are separated. Pearls to swine? 2. Is depriving an individual of their liberties and letting them rot in prison ‘cruel and unusual punishment’? “Is all the world Jails and Churches?” Vietnow, Zach de la Rocha//////Doberman789
ReplyDeleteThat first paragraph that popped up was talking about how the man who was on death row was on it for 35 years and there was no hard physical evidence that even proved he did it. Does not make sense if there is no tangible evidence. And since 1973 150 people were released from death row with evidence of their innocence. Looks like there might be a problem here. Luckily it does look like they are getting rid of it. But on the other side, we are housing these people for crimes that they committed that will keep them in prison for the rest of their lives. Shouldn't we get rid of the ones that absolutely need it so we do not have to keep supporting them? There are a lot of statistics on this website and is very cool to go through and read. It all is very interesting stuff. I thought it was cool seeing the death sentencing go from 295 in 1998 to 49 in 2015. It dropped dramatically in 17 years. I know around that time was when get tough on crime was going on. So this could maybe be a good thing knowing that the death sentencing is on a decline.
ReplyDelete-Ibanez789
when I read that max had to suffer for so long made my heart hurt. Not only did he have to suffer as a child from fetus alcohol syndrome he had to spend is last adult years in prison. I feel as he only confessed to police only after hours of coercive questioning, because he got tired og getting ask the same question over and over.I probably would of confessed just to get them out my hair.On a nother note why is max in there anyway if they have no physical evidence that links him to the crime.I feel as the police and detective got lazy and just picked him knowing he wouldn't pass his interrogation with the lack of intelligence.Just bandfuls me how in lousiana they give the blacks death penalty faster than the whites all crimes should be treared the same don't matter what the color of the skin. shaylavon789
ReplyDeleteI believe the death penalty should be revised in every state. It should be handed out equally and fairly regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, and financial status. They've put to many innocent people to death or people who may not have deserved such a punishment. Like we've talked about in class In Illinois they reviewed 100 cases of people on the death penalty and approxamently 80 of them where corrupted in some way shape or form. That should never be the case when sentencing someone to death by a court of law. The death penalty should always be given out fairly in every state and until that's able to happen no state should be able to use the death penalty.
ReplyDelete~Caz789