Before going through this simulation, I was completely against capital punishment. Over the Summer, I read Just Mercy, a novel written by the founder of a nonprofit that defends those unjustly accused. Many of the convicted had received the sentence of capital punishment; however, the punishment was often given in cases where it seemed too severe for the crime. One of the sentenced was even completely innocent of the crime he had supposedly committed. Essentially, the book revealed how racism played into the jury’s decisions, and how nonchalant judges could be about sentencing someone to die, even if the prosecution’s facts were not sound. After reading Just Mercy and learning more about the reality in capital punishment cases, I knew that
