SethMoeggenberg

WalkerPriest
AllyRamon
ShavonneShanteau
Mr.Gross
English12B(3)
22February2016
DeathPenalty

SinceAmericawasfirstindependentin1776,morethan17,277peoplehavebeen
executedduetothedeathpenalty.Differentformsofthedeathpenaltyincludethefiringsquad,
gaschamber,lethalinjection,electrocution,andhanging.Morethan784peoplehavebeenputon
deathrowfrom200014.Thedeathpenaltyiscurrentlyillegalin18statesandtheDistrictof
Columbia.Thedeathpenaltyneedstobeoutlawed.Studieshaveshownthatoneineveryseven
peoplewhoareexecutedondeathrowareactuallyinnocent.Althoughpeopleclaimthatthe
deathpenaltydeterscriminalsfromcommittingheinouscrimes,itstillhasdisadvantages.The
disadvantagesincludethecostsoffollowingthroughwiththedeathpenaltyandthefactthatit
goesagainsttheeighthamendmentandis,therefore,unconstitutional.

Allowingthedeathpenaltycoststaxpayers,prisons,andthestatemoremoneythan
needed.Byeliminatingthedeathpenalty,itwillsavetaxpayers$1.26million(DeathPenalty1).
Thelengthandcomplexityoftrialsandthenumberofdefenderstobehiredforthetrialsalso
costsagreatdealofmoney.InTexas,thestatehashadmorethanthreehundredpeopleondeath

row,andthestatehasspentanestimated$2.3millionpercase(DeathPenalty1).Deathpenalty
casesaremuchmoreexpensivethananyothercriminalcasesandcostmorethankeepingan
inmateinprisonforlife.In1991,NewJerseylaidoffmorethanfivehundredpoliceofficers.
Duringthattime,adeathpenaltycasewasoccurringwhichcosted$16million.Thatamountof
moneywasmorethanenoughtohirefivehundredpoliceofficersandgivethemasalaryof
$30,000peryear.Thedeathpenaltycostsmorethankeepingsomeoneinprisonforlife.

Theeighthamendmentstatesthatthefederalgovernmentcannotimposeexcessivebail,
excessivefines,orcruelandunusualpunishment.Peoplesaythatthedeathpenaltyis
unconstitutionalandgoesagainsttheeighthamendment.Itiscrueltosentenceanotherhuman
beingtodeathbecausetheykilledsomeone.Thedeathpenaltydoesnothelpthejudicialsystem.
Itonlyhurtsthefamilyofthepeoplebeingexecuted.Itisalsoaneasywayforsomeonetoget
outofwhattheyhavedone.Thedeathpenaltydoesnotfixtheproblemorteachalesson.Itisnot
effectivetoputsomeonetodeathwhocommittedacrimebecausethatpersoncannotthinkabout
his/heractionsfortherestofhis/herlife.Puttingthatpersontodeathislikeafreeticketfor
whatthatpersonhasdone.Whensomeoneisputtodeath,he/shenolongerhastodealwiththe
consequencesofhis/heractions.

In1993ayoungseventeenyearoldboynamedRubenCantuwaswronglyaccusedof
capitalmurderandlaterexecuted.TwelveyearsafterRubenCantuwasputtodeath,
investigationsshowthatitwasnotlikelyforRubenCantutohavecommittedthemurder.The
onlyeyewitnessreinstatedhistestimonyandRubenCantu'scodefenderadmittedtoallowing
Cantutobefalselyaccusedandputtodeath.Accordingtotheeyewitness,Cantuwasn'teven

therethenightofthemurder.ManyothersituationslikethishaveoccurredaroundtheUnited
Statesandthisisoneofthemanyreasonswhythedeathpenaltyshouldbeoutlawed.Wrongful
executionisahugeconcernregardingthedeathpenalty,becausestudieshaveshownthatonein
everysevenpeopleexecutedareactuallyinnocent.Eightysevenpeoplehavebeenproven
innocentwhileondeathrow,andluckilythiswasprovenbeforetheexecutiontookplace.This
goestoshowthattherecouldhavebeenmanymorepeoplewhowereexecutedforcrimesthey
didnotcommit.Lookingfromtheviewpointofsomeonewithafamilymemberondeathrow,it
wouldputextremestressandpressureonthefamilyknowingthattheallegedcriminalisactually
innocent.

Thedeathpenaltyiswidelyviewedasacruelandunusualpunishmentforthosewho
havecommittedhorrificcrimes.Ascruelandunusualasitmaybe,ithasbeenproveneffective
tolethallyinjectoffendersasadeterrenttopreventotherwouldbeoffenders.In1973,Isaac
Ehrlichemployedanewkindofanalysiswhichproducedresultsshowingthatforeveryinmate
whowasexecuted,sevenlivesweresparedbecauseothersweredeterredfromcommitting
murder(Deterrence1).OnJuly23of2014,JosephWood,adoublemurdererinArizona,took
nearlytwohoursofgaspingbreathsafterthelethalinjectiondosewasadministeredtohim
(CruelandUnusual1).Leavingsomeonestrappedtoatabledyingslowlyandpainfullyisjustas
cruelandunusualasmurderingsomeone.Thisisadoublestandardbecausethedeathpenaltyis
usedtostopkillingbykilling.Ifmurderisagainstthelawthensoshouldthedeathpenalty.

Themostreasonablewaytoputanendtothedeathpenaltyistomakeitillegaland
substituteitforalifesentencewithoutachanceofparole,thisgivesthefamilyjusticeandmakes

itsothatapersonwhoisguiltycanservetimefortherestoftheirlives.Eliminatingthedeath
penaltyisaverysimplewaytoputanendtokillingpeoplethatcouldbeinnocent.Theideathat
thekillerofafamilymembergetstoliveouttheirlivesandalovedonedidn'tisahardconcept
togetpastbutinrealityprisonisn'tacatwalk.Aninmatewhoisinprisonforlifeisgoingtobe
miserableforyearsandyearsinsteadofaquickandcleandeaththeygettorotawayinprisonfor
therestoftheirdays.

Thedeathpenaltyiscurrentlylegalin32oftheUnitedStates.Thismeansthatifhorrific
enough,acrimewillbepunishedwithdeath.Thedeathpenaltyneedstobeillegalineverystate.
Thecostforadeathpenaltycaseisfarmoreexpensivethanthecostoflifeinprison.Havinga
moreexpensivecasemeanshavingtheAmericantaxpayerpaymore.Thisisnotpleasingtothe
Americanpeople.GoingagainsttheconstitutionisanothermovethattheAmericanpeopledo
notstandforandthedeathpenaltydoesexactlythat.TheUnitedStatesConstitutionspecifically
forbidscruelandunusualpunishmentwhilethedeathpenaltyisquiteobviouslystilllegal.
Evidencesupportsthepenaltybysayingthatforeveryoffenderputtodeath,severalothersare
deterredfromcommittinganotherhorrificcrime.Takingalifeistakingalifetwowrongsdonot
makearight.ThedeathpenaltyintheUnitedStatesmustbeoutlawed.

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