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Johnnie R. Norman
David Hubert
POLS-1100-402

Argument: Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is death by execution. It is legal in many states as a punishment for
serious crimes, but does it make it right or wrong? Many think that capital punishment should be
stopped because it is morally wrong, expensive, and a very slow process. However, does that
give another human being the right to take anothers life even though executing an inmate in a
humane way is seen a justified? People who commit these crimes are sure to kill again, it could
be an inmate, or it could be a guard, or if released they could kill some years down the road. So
the question we must ask is, is it morally wrong to let them live? Or to live out there remaining
days with life in prison? Lets explore some common issues with capital punishment and see
what conclusion we can make on this controversial issue.
What does it cost to execute an individual who has received a capital punishment
sentence? what exceptional needs is this individual going to need, such as: penitentiary housing
or staffing, it is extremely expensive to keep up on, and states that have the death penalty use
those taxes to pay those expenses. Throughout the last decade, Florida has expended $57 million
to carry out 18 executions. Now, if you distribute this money amount by the number of
executions, the total cost is $3.2 million for each execution. that is a numerous amount of money
(Cost, 2013).
In the late 80s, the state of Florida executed Ted Bundy. Bundy had confessed to 28
murders in four other states. Bundy spent his next nine years on death row, he received three

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consecutive stays of execution. Before being put to death in the electric chair, Bundy, cost tax
paying citizens more than $5 million (Org, H.G., 2015).
It is believed that the death penalty is more cost-efficient than shelter and feeding
someone in prison for life. However, the reality is that the death penaltys intricacy, length, and
finality push the costs through the roof, making it more expensive. Capital punishment is an
inadequate, overstuffed program that has slowed down law enforcement, hindered justice for
victims families, and consumed millions of crime fighting resources that might save lives and
safeguard the public (Cost, 2013).
70 percent of our population supports the death penalty, many individuals felt that Ted
Bundy got what he deserved. However further questioning, as to whether U.S. taxpayers got their
money's worth. When a single verdict of death can cost millions of dollars to carry out, does it
make financial sense to keep the death penalty? At first glance, the expenditures involved in the
execution of a convict appear unpretentious and diminutive. However, in 2003, the state of
Florida compensated $150 to the executioner, $20 for the last meal, $150 for a new outfit for the
convict's burial, and $525 for the mortician's services and a casket. The cost to execute a convict
in Florida, cost less than $1,000 (Gold, 2015)
In addition, using the death penalty is a very slow process. At least 97 percent of all
death-row inmates are not executed on time. As a result, the waiting list for executions grows
substantially year after year. It is believed that if U.S. legal system executed one inmate every
day, it would still take 30 years to empty all cells on death row. A process this slow does not
make sense in the judicial system.
Below is an outline put together from Carneys verdict. And he notes, that these delays
have long been drawn out in recent years, but arent original. Following four years of evaluation,

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the California Commission on Fair Administration of Justice pointed out the troubles in 2008,
and in other additional reports have criticized the underlying blemishes with the system.
However, the state has appropriated no significant action to resolve it. Why? Perhaps it's broken
beyond repair. According to the: Los Angeles Times (Martelle, 2014).
Once the death penalty has been imposed, the verdict is reviewed by the state
Supreme Court. The state appoints a lawyer to represent the condemned inmate, which
takes three to five years because of lack of funds to pay the lawyers, and by the low pay
offered, which reduces the pool of potential lawyers. During that time, there is no action
on the case.
Once appointed, the lawyer must become versed in the details of the case,
beginning with the trial transcript, which averages 9,000 pages, then prepare the legal
brief and submit it. That process takes about four years.
Then the appeal has to be scheduled by the Supreme Court, which hears a couple
of dozen such cases each year, which means another delay of up to three years before the
case will be reviewed and the court issues its ruling.
Overall thats approximately 12 years before the Supreme Court ends its mandated analysis
with inmates spending much of that time waiting for counsel to be appointed and the oral
argument to be scheduled, Carney wrote (Martelle, 2014).
The stipulation of the state Supreme Court protects the decision and verdict, then the
offender acquires the chance to petition the verdict for reasons of inadequate guidance and other
problems not increasing out of the trial evidence itself. However, the law needs a different
attorney to be appointed, yet the offender can relinquish that and stick with the attorney he
already has. In regards to that, underfunding has generated an enormous buildup, and defendants
wait years. In the last five years, Carney wrote, a typical of 22.8 death judgments that have
been distributed each year; and the states have appointed attorneys in an average of 9.4 cases a
year (Martelle, 2014).

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Theses interruptions remain throughout the appeals process; its dragged out by
overloaded court logbooks. By then a defendant, will have likely exhausted a combined 17
years or more appealing the decision. And if the defendant loses at the state-level of appeals,
then he/she gets to build their case to the federal court system, which could take on average up to
10.4 years (Martelle, 2014).
As we can see more than twenty-five years goes by before the system has completed its
efforts, assuming that the state courts got it correct and the federal courts uphold the decision and
judgment. One of the most intriguing things that stands out from Carneys ruling is the jarring
statistic that 60% of the convicted won amnesties in the federal courts, indicating flaws in the
trial and the appeals process (Smith, 2015)
The United States alone, has thirty-three states where capital punishment is still
permissible; and more than 60% of the worlds populace lives in lands where the death penalty is
still allowed. And, recent events have shown, many people say they are against capital
punishment, but it seems as though only when its passed out in certain cases or at least these
individuals choose not to voice their viewpoints in defense of the defendant in those certain
instances (Smith, 2015).
Though it may seem, Capital punishment should be drawn from our legal system. People
may see this as morally wrong, no matter how you look at it, it seems individuals of the system
have found ways to prolong their stay of execution, due to the loop holes in the judicial system.
need to find another means of punishment in our legal system. Lastly, common sense would
seem tell us that whether or not it is expensive or reasonably cheap we can not afford to keep
putting these individuals to death.

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Reference
Martelle, Scott. "The Real Reasons California's Death Penalty System Is so Slow." Los
Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2014. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.
Gold, Russell. "Capital Punishment - The Costs Of Capital Punishment." - Death, Appeals,
Execution, and Row. The Wall Street Journal. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.
Org, H.G. "Which Is Cheaper, Execution or Life in Prison Without Parole?" Which Is Cheaper,
Execution or Life in Prison Without Parole? H.G.Org. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.
Smith, James. "Web Culture." Is the Debate Over Capital Punishment Entering a New Chapter?
The Daily Lounge. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.
"Cost." Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty. 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2015.