The Role Of Capital Punishment In The Criminal Justice System

I think that one of the most important aspects of the criminal justice system is the ability to decide whether someone receives the death penalty or not. Capital punishment is the harshest punishment that can be given and in order to reach that verdict the level of scrutiny is extremely high. 73 percent of Americans favor the death penalty, which must make it morally right or, at least, acceptable (Williams, 2012, pg. 223). However, when it comes to ruling in favor of the death penalty the jury gives the verdict. This is a difficult burden for each and every individual who has to sit on the jury because they know they hold someone’s life in their hands. The job of being able to clearly understand comprehend the material and evidence that each side is giving …show more content…
Details in every criminal trial can make or break whether or not someone is guilty or is sentenced to capital punishment. If one is not paying attention they are not only ethically failing their duties but morally as well. Life is the ultimate price and it requires everything from the jury in order to reach the right verdict.

The death penalty possesses several problem one of which is bring your own prejudice into the court hearing. When a juror sits and is listening to the case being presented he or she is supposed to remove all prejudice when thinking about the details. The problem, however, is that most people are not able to separate their prejudice or their personal feelings when deciding on a capital punishment case. There are some people who just as the picture just as the state would present the thought of a murder happening to their loved ones. They make it personal when deciding whether or not the defendant should receive the death penalty. The problem with death penalty cases is it ties into the person’s emotions too much and it can hinder