The Death Penalty Is Not Justice - 1509 Words

â€Å"To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice.† -Desmond Tutu The death penalty is a legal punishment practiced worldwide, which includes execution being the punishment, mandated to someone convicted of a crime. The death penalty has existed since 1700 B.C. when the Code of Hammurabi was a legal document in ancient Babylonia. Ever since the Code of Hammurabi many countries have adopted this punishment including the United States. When European settlers came to America, Americans obtained the death penalty. During the establishment of the Constitution, framers continued the custom which led to the eighth amendment. â€Å"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury†¦; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb†¦ nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Constitution 1). It is often argued that the death penalty should be continued because of the esta blishment of the eighth amendment. However, the eighth amendment contradicts with the basic human right or â€Å"right to life†. The Universal Declaration of Human rights states in Article 3 â€Å"Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.† (United Nations 1). Also, in Article 5 it states â€Å"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.† (United Nations 1). Therefore, the deathShow MoreRelatedThe Justice of the Death Penalty Essay655 Words   |  3 PagesThe Justice of the Death Penalty Whenever the word death penalty comes up, extremists from both sides start yelling out their arguments. One side says deterrence, the other side says theres a potential of executing an innocent man; one says justice, retribution, and punishment; the other side says execution is murder. Personally I think it is time for Americans to take a stand use the justice system as it was intended, for the punishment of criminals. A big point of argument for the peopleRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is An Act Of Justice1217 Words   |  5 PagesSince the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the death penalty in 1976, there have been 1,434 executions in the United States (Death Penalty Information Center). Today, a debate quickly erupts when discussing the death penalty as a form of punishment in America’s Criminal Justice system. Some perceive the Death Penalty as an act of justice, while others believe it is unconstitutional. There are currently 31 death penalty states and 19 non-death penalty states in the U.S. Although opponents view thisRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Not The Satisfaction Of Justice1532 Words   |  7 PagesJavier Arocha March 31, 2017 The Death Penalty in America â€Å"The proper end of human punishment is, not the satisfaction of justice, but the prevention of crimes. - William Paley The Death penalty is a very delicate topic. People can t just scream their believes to prove their point. Today, the United States of America is in the minority of countries that still use the Death Penalty as a punishment for certain crimes. Even though the controversy over the Death Penalty is overlooked most of the timeRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Not Guaranteed That Justice Will Be Served871 Words   |  4 PagesBy reinstating the death penalty, it is not guaranteed that justice will be served. Family and friends of victims of serious crimes are left longing for closure for the actions inflicted and often seek retribution (SOURCE). By allowing the death penalty, the victim’s family and friends are offered closure by the means of taking the assailants life. Commonly known as an â€Å"eye for an eye,† this form of punishment is classified as retributive justice as it requires the assailant to give up his or herRead MoreThe Death Penalty On The Criminal Justice Syst em1491 Words   |  6 PagesWhat place does the death penalty have in the criminal justice system? Should it be used to deter other criminals, should it be used to punish those who commit crimes, or does it have any place at all? In understanding the issue of the death penalty from a moral perspective, it is important to look back at philosophers of the past to better understand the ethical ramifications of the concept of capital punishment. We will be examining two notable philosophers—Aristotle and Immanuel Kant. ThroughRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is It Really Justice For All?994 Words   |  4 PagesDeath Penalty, is it really justice for all? Should an insane man remain untreated to avoid the death penalty? Such is the case of Russell Weston who in 1998 killed two police officers in the U.S. Capital. He told government psychiatrists he drove across country to prevent the spread of disease, killing two of the carriers. His lawyers state that they know he will get the deat h penalty, so he remains untreated, insane, and isolated to avoid conviction of the death penalty (Caplan). Is this justiceRead MoreThe Death Penalty And The Justice System Of America2224 Words   |  9 PagesThe death penalty has been in the justice system of America tracing all the way back to the days of its founding fathers. Though it is a highly controversial legal and moral matter, it still stands today as the most ultimate punishment in the United States. Many countries have been or are currently abolishing their death penalty under the notion that it is unjust and morally wrong. The United States, on the other hand, has 38 out of its 50 states with laws that state the death penalty as its ultimateRead MoreThe Death Penalty And The Criminal Justice System1475 Words   |  6 PagesThe death penalty has been used as a form of punishments in the United States since the American colonies in the 1600’s (Del Carmen, 2015). The country has divided opinions about the proper procedures used by the criminal justice system to convict a person to live or death. The death penalty has created a public policy issue that has produced wide scholarly research, public debate and legal attention. The reality is that the majority on Americans support the death penalty. Only a small proportionRead MoreThe Death Penalty : A Terrible Scar On American Justice1534 Words   |  7 PagesMarshall, the head of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice during the Civil Rights Era, once said, â€Å" The death penalty, I think, is a terrible scar on American justice, especially the concept of equal justice under law, but also of due process. And it goes state by state, and it s different in different states.† Burke Marshall’s thoughts were, and still are completely correct. The death penalty is more controversial now than ever before, because society has changed. TheRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is The United States Justice System1542 Wor ds   |  7 PagesThere are many injustices that plague the United States Justice System. The death penalty is a prime example of this. A major problem associated with the death penalty is the unavoidable fact that potentially innocent people are being executed. Researchers estimate that over 340 executed inmates, could have been exonerated; which means that over 340 people were wrongfully killed! With the arrival of DNA testing in the mid 80’s, by 1992, 17 death row inmates in the US where acquitted and released