The Death Penalty Do the laws of the United States outweigh the life of a human being? Throughout the world and the United States, capital punishment claims the life of many people. The death penalty was first established around the Eighteenth Century B.C. ("Part I: History of the Death Penalty |"). Today, in the Twenty First Century, we live in a progressive society that by now should have surpassed barbaric punishments such as the death penalty. The death penalty is harmful to the economy, unconstitutional, does not deter crime, and diminishes the view of the United States in the eyes of other countries. Capital punishment,such as the death penalty, should be abolished because does not align to the values of the United States of America.
…show more content…
“On July 1, U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, found the death penalty "deprives innocent people of a significant opportunity to prove their innocence" and "creates an undue risk of executing innocent people," and thereby violates the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment guarantee to due process of law,”("Judge Rules Death Penalty Unconstitutional"). Capital punishment denies due process because it is irrevocable and ends any chance of reversal for a conviction (Bedau). The death penalty is also unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment ("Part I: History of the Death Penalty |"). Execution is cruel and unusual because it dates back to barbaric time with uncivilized societies and inflicts a great amount of pain. An “eye for an eye” form of punishment is outdated and creates a negative image of the United States to other countries (Bedau). America would most likely gain more allies and gain economically from tourism, if the death penalty was …show more content…
Todays executions are unsure and extreamly expensive. Taxpayers are paying for the death of a fellow American, not to mention that some may disagree with the final verdict. Many people believe the death penalty is more cost effective than life without parole, but this is not the case today ("Does the Death Penalty Cost Less than Life in Prison without Parole?"). Capital case trials take almost twice as long to make a conviction as non-capital cases do. In a study, capital cases took seven months longer to reach a conclusion. The longer the trial is, time is wasted and more money is spent.The cost of the death penalty in California alone since 1978 is over $4 billion ("Costs of the Death Penalty |"). Lawyers, judges, and a jury must be appointment in order to reach a verdict in each case. Their time and efforts must be rewarded as well. With the United States debt reaching trillions, there is no room to spend this much money on ending someone 's
“On July 1, U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, found the death penalty "deprives innocent people of a significant opportunity to prove their innocence" and "creates an undue risk of executing innocent people," and thereby violates the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment guarantee to due process of law,”("Judge Rules Death Penalty Unconstitutional"). Capital punishment denies due process because it is irrevocable and ends any chance of reversal for a conviction (Bedau). The death penalty is also unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment ("Part I: History of the Death Penalty |"). Execution is cruel and unusual because it dates back to barbaric time with uncivilized societies and inflicts a great amount of pain. An “eye for an eye” form of punishment is outdated and creates a negative image of the United States to other countries (Bedau). America would most likely gain more allies and gain economically from tourism, if the death penalty was …show more content…
Todays executions are unsure and extreamly expensive. Taxpayers are paying for the death of a fellow American, not to mention that some may disagree with the final verdict. Many people believe the death penalty is more cost effective than life without parole, but this is not the case today ("Does the Death Penalty Cost Less than Life in Prison without Parole?"). Capital case trials take almost twice as long to make a conviction as non-capital cases do. In a study, capital cases took seven months longer to reach a conclusion. The longer the trial is, time is wasted and more money is spent.The cost of the death penalty in California alone since 1978 is over $4 billion ("Costs of the Death Penalty |"). Lawyers, judges, and a jury must be appointment in order to reach a verdict in each case. Their time and efforts must be rewarded as well. With the United States debt reaching trillions, there is no room to spend this much money on ending someone 's