Amelia Perry

Advanced English 12

October 16, 2009

The Death Penalty

Lethal injection - is the most common form of execution.

Electrocution Gas ChamberFiring SquadHanging

Types of Execution

American Veterinary Medical Association banned used Pancurium bromide (2nd dose in lethal injection) because of the potential of it being extremely painful

Inhumane

There are 42 examples of botched executions 2 by asphyxiation, 10 by electrocution, 30 by

lethal injectionOn averaged the botched executions took 20

minutes or moreStates do no make public, maintain, or even

keep record of their executionsSo there is no way of truly knowing just how

many botched execution there are

Botched Executions

Examples of Botched Executions

Angel DiazAfter the first

injection he continued to move then a second dose was administered

It took 34 minutes from the first injection to when he was declared dead

Romell BroomSeptember 15, 2009Took more than 2

hours to find a suitable vein

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland ordered the execution to stop, and a one-week delay so that physicians could be consulted to find a more suitable way to kill him

CostCalifornia

$137 million per year with current system

$232.7 million with present system with reforms recommended to ensure fair process

$11.5 million per year if all death row inmates were on lifetime incarcerations

Break down of the costPeople v. Scott

PetersonDeath Penalty Trial$3.2 million total

Death Penalty Trial v. Life Incarceration TrialThe death penalty is

expensive not only for big states like California who have over 600 people on death row but for even the small states

North Carolina spends about $2.16 million per execution

INNOCENCE

There have been 133 death row exonerations since 1973

On average the person served 9 ½ years from the time they were sentenced to death until exoneration

Innocence

Cameron Todd WillinghamSentenced to death in

2004 Accused of setting the fire

that killed his three daughters 2 days before Christmas

Thought innocent in 2005“Every expert who has

looked at this case has determined there was no reason to call it arson.”

Craig Beyler, chairman of the London-based International Association for Fire Science Safety

DNA Exonerations of Death Row Inmates

Kirk Bloodsworth – served 8 years

Rolando Cruz – served 10.5 yearsRon Williamson – served 11 yearsKennedy Brewer – served 7 yearsEarl Washington – served 17 years

in Virginia

These innocent people could have been put to death

These cases are based on DNA Exonerations only

Deterrence-Most

states

without the

death

penalty

have lower

homicide

rates than

states with

the death

penalty

Some people look at the death penalty as revenge for what the criminal did to them

Nothing can take back what the criminal did, nothing can bring back a person the criminal may have killed

“To kill the person who has killed someone close to you is simply to continue the cycle of violence.”

Raymon A. Schroth

Retribution

There is nothing positive to taking a human life, even if they are a criminal

It is an inhumane practice and a cruel and unusual form of punishment

Innocent people have suffered and put to death

There is no reason to kill someone, when there are alternatives

The cost is outrageous and the money could be used in a better way

The death penalty is not the answer for justice

Conclusion