Capital Punishment Flashcards
Methods of Execution in U.S.
- lethal injection (3)
- electrocution
- gas chamber
- hanging
- firing squad
- Primary method in all states, US Military & Federal gov (sodium thiopental-numb, bromide-paralysis, potassium chloride-stops heart)
- Permitted in 9 states
- Permitted in 6 states
- Permitted in 3 states
- 2 States
Methods of Execution in U.S.
- lethal injection
- electrocution
- gas chamber
- hanging
- firing squad
- Primary method in all states, US Military & Federal govt
- Permitted in 9 states
- Permitted in 6 states
- Permitted in 3 states
- 2 States
How many executions in 2013?
- year with highest?
- peak of executions in?
- mortatorium
- # of death row inmates in Pa
15
- in 1999, 98
- 1930’s during depression
- 1967-76 temp ban on death penalty by supreme court
- 202
Time on death row
- typical wait (yrs)
- isolation causes
Typical death row inmate spends 10+ yrs waiting to be executed
- Isolation in impoverished environment can cause deterioration of mental status
Jurier Misconceptions
- problems with juries (3)
Premature sentencing decisions, Jury selection bias, Racial bias
2 factors influencing application of death sentence
- defendants who kill whites are more likely to be sentenced to death than those who kill blacks
- race of the defendant
Women account for how many:
- murder arrests
- death sentences
- death row inmates
- executions
- vs males?
~ 10% Murder arrests ~ 2% Death sentences ~ 1.7% Death row inmates ~ 1 % Executions (modern era) - both death sentence rate and population are signif less than men
Women account for how many:
- murder arrests
- death sentences
- death row inmates
- executions
~ 10% Murder arrests
~ 2% Death sentences
~ 1.7% Death row inmates
~ 1 % Executions (modern era)
Mental disability:
- U.S. 1984-2001 how many with disability executed?
- law
- 44 mentally disabled persons were executed
- 2002 Supreme Court Atkins v. Virginia
Executing intellectual disabilities unconstitutional
Since 1973?
since 1976?
at least 307 people in 35 states (& DC) have been Released from death row w/ evidence of their innocence
- 1335 executed
- Capital Punishment is?
- expense?
- capital offenses? (exs)
- how many practice it?
- majority of have?
- intended to be a deterrent however most don’t consider consequences when committing crime
- its more expensive to sentence someone to death than to sentence them to prison for life
- crimes punishable with death penalty (aggravated murder, felony murder, treason)
- 15 countries of 153
- majority of civilized democracies have abolished it death penalty
- Top 5 states for execution (#s)
- most are?
- Texas (since 1976, 500)
- Virginia (100+ since 1976)
- Oklahoma (100+)
- Florida (80+)
- Missouri (70+)
- geographically “south”, nick named bible belt
Lethal injection causes?
slow death of respiratory and cardiac arrest
- Top 5 states for execution (#s)
- most are?
- police officers in south?
- Texas (since 1976, 500)
- Virginia (100+ since 1976)
- Oklahoma (100+)
- Florida (80+)
- Missouri (70+)
- geographically “south”, nick named bible belt
- least safe on duty even tho 80% of executions done in south
- Lethal injection?
- Gas chamber?
- Electrocution?
- Firing squad?
- slow death of respiratory and cardiac arrest
- Expensive, slow cruel death, no practical advantage of using it
- can be quick but can go very wrong with gruesome consequences
- May or may not cause instant unconsciousness and death
- overall evidence of death penalty?
- criminologists opinion? (%)
- % that would chose another method?
- no reliable sci sound evidence that says death is an effective detterant
- 88% say they don’t think death penalty is a deterrent
- 66% would choose a punishment other than death for murder
Amendment related to death penalty
8th prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
Hanging vs. lethal injection
15 secs for hanging but 20-45 for lethal injection
- death penalty is?
- influences on it?
unpredictably applied, inconsistent, no uniformity. Ineffective guidelines that result in decision makers falling back on biases and prejudices
- view of prosecutors and monetary ability
- Ohio’s death row inmates? (%)
- Baltimore county murders?
25% of ohio’s death row inmates come from hamiltion county; only 9% of murders in OH come from hamiliation county
- 1/10 amt of murders, 9x more on death row
Chances of death sentence increase when? (offender is)
- decrease?
increase if black offender and white victim with at least 5 white people on jury, decrease with 1 black man on jury
- Races of death sentenced defendants? (%’s)
- Races of victims in the death penalty cases? (%s)
- Fastest growing population on death row?
49% black, 40% white
76% white 15% black
- Latinos, hispanic increase by 20%
- Races of death sentenced defendants? (%’s)
- Races of victims in the death penalty cases? (%s)
- Fastest growing population on death row?
- % of race biases found?
- philadelphia (%)
49% black, 40% white
76% white 15% black
- Latinos, hispanic increase by 20%
- 96% of states found patterns of race of vic or defendant biases
- blacks get death penalty at 38% higher rate than other races
- Representation at trial?
- Washington state representation?
Defendants who are well represented don’t get death penalty - ruth ginsberg
- 1/5 ppl repped by lawyers who were late disbarred or arrested
- Representation at trial?
- Washington state & Texas representation?
Defendants who are well represented don’t get death penalty - ruth ginsberg
- 1/5 ppl repped by lawyers who were late disbarred or arrested; in Texas 1/4 death row inmates repped by lawyers who had been disbarred
Case of innocence?
David Keaton, Florida Conviction. Convicted for robbery and murder in Boston, overturned bc police withheld evidence, convicted by 2 witnesses
