Capital Punishment

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"The Ethics of Capital Punishment" ScaliaThe US Constitution specifically allows for the death penalty to be imposed as a criminal sanction, and democratically elected legislatures—not court justices—should decide if and when to use it. Among the justifications for capital punishment are deterrence and retribution. Determining the value of such deterrence and retribution rests not with judicial opinion, but with the experience and wisdom of the American people.

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Scalia, Antonin Gregory. "The Death Penalty Does Not Violate the US Constitution." The Ethics of Capital Punishment. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

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"Capital Punishment Is Morally Justified" Carmical The purpose of the death penalty is to bring the murderer to justice and to acknowledge the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.

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Carmical, Casey. "Capital Punishment Is Morally Justified." The Ethics of Capital Punishment. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. At Issue. Rpt. from "The Death Penalty: Morally Defensible?" Casey's Critical Thinking Jan. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.

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“The Death Penalty is a Human Rights Violation” Center for Constitutional RightsThe death penalty is a denial of the most basic human rights; it violates one of the most fundamental principles under widely accepted human rights law—that states must recognize the right to life.

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"The Death Penalty Is a Human Rights Violation: An Examination of the Death Penalty in the U.S. from a Human Rights Perspective." Center for Constitutional Rights. Center for Constitutional Rights. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. .

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“Does the death penalty violate the 5th Amendment?” Jed S. Rfakof "[T]o this Court, the unacceptably high rate at which innocent persons are convicted of capital crimes, when coupled with the frequently prolonged delays before such errors are detected (and then often only fortuitously or by application of newly-developed techniques), compels the conclusion that execution under the Federal Death Penalty Act, by cutting off the opportunity for exoneration, denies due process and, indeed, is tantamount to foreseeable, state-sponsored murder of innocent human beings."

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Jed S. Rfakof, JD, US District Judge in the Southern District of New York, ruled that the death penalty violates the due process clause of the 5th Amendment in his July 1, 2002 ruling in US v. Quinones:

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Death Penalty Trials Very Costly Relative to County Budgets Capital cases burden county budgets with large unexpected costs, according to a report released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, "The Budgetary Repercussions of Capital Convictions," by Katherine Baicker. Counties manage these high costs by decreasing funding for highways and police and by increasing taxes. The report estimates that between 1982-1997 the extra cost of capital trials was $1.6 billion.

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(NBER Working Paper No. w8382, Issued in July 2001)

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Death Penalty and Human Rights Standards Amnesty International USA1948The United Nations adopted without dissent the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Declaration proclaims the right of every individual to protection from deprivation of life. It states that no one shall be subjected to cruel or degrading punishment. The death penalty violates both of these fundamental rights.

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"Death Penalty and Human Rights Standards." Amnesty International USA. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. .

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Lethal Injection (Ecenbarger, 1994 and Weisberg, 1991)

the inmate is injected with sodium thiopental - an anesthetic, which puts the inmate to sleep. Next flows pavulon or pancuronium bromide, which paralyzes the entire muscle system and stops the inmate's breathing. Finally, the flow of potassium chloride stops the heart. Death results from anesthetic overdose and respiratory and cardiac arrest while the condemned person is unconscious.

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"Descriptions of Execution Methods." Descriptions of Execution Methods. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. .

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Electrocution (Hillman, 1992 and Weisberg, 1991)

A jolt of between 500 and 2000 volts, which lasts for about 30 seconds, is given. The current surges and is then turned off, at which time the body is seen to relax. The doctors wait a few seconds for the body to cool down and then check to see if the inmate's heart is still beating. If it is, another jolt is applied. This process continues until the prisoner is dead. The prisoner's hands often grip the chair and there may be violent movement of the limbs which can result in dislocation or fractures. The tissues swell. Defecation occurs. Steam or smoke rises and there is a smell of burning.

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"Descriptions of Execution Methods." Descriptions of Execution Methods. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. .

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Gas Chamber (Weisberg, 1991)

The warden then gives a signal to the executioner who flicks a lever that releases crystals of sodium cyanide into the pail. This causes a chemical reaction that releases hydrogen cyanide gas. (Weisberg, 1991) The prisoner is instructed to breathe deeply to speed up the process. Most prisoners, however, try to hold their breath, and some struggle. The inmate does not lose consciousness immediately. According to former San Quenton, California, Penitentiary warden, Clifton Duffy, "At first there is evidence of extreme horror, pain, and strangling. The eyes pop. The skin turns purple and the victim begins to drool.

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"Descriptions of Execution Methods." Descriptions of Execution Methods. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. .

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Playing God

Executing a person kills him before the time of their natural death. Some Christians believe that God places people on Earth for a purpose. If we kill them prematurely, then we may be thwarting God's will.

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"Basic Reasons That People Give to Support or Oppose the Death Penalty." Capital Punishment. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. .