The Argument Against Capital Punishment Presented By: Ellie Wright Miranda Palmisano Mary Gonzales Ashley Suazo André Adams Image: http://www.madisontracer.com

Current Controversies Casey Anthony Troy Davis

Current Controversies Teresa Lewis Duane Buck

Background Image: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/218404/20110922/troy-davis-story-controversial-death-row-cases.htm

Capital Punishment Across the World Image: http://www.fashion-writings.com

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 3 states, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.” Article 5 states, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” Image: http://www.denison.edu Articles: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml

The Constitution of the United States of America Fifth Amendment states, “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 be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Eighth Amendment states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” Image: http://www.legendsofamerica.com Articles: http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am5>

Movie Clip from American History X http://www.signis.net/malone/tiki-index.php?page=American+History+X&PHPSESSID=5862c12e1710f20aa7dabda10e73a650

6th Amendment “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.”

Bias Image: http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-and-race

Image: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/usa/north-carolina/ Racial Justice Act 2009 Image: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/usa/north-carolina/

Women Images: http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/riggs.html, http://soulrefuge.org/2008/11/03/christian-viewpoint-texas-to-execute-10-in-one-month/ http://www.perfilm.co.uk/Templates/Perfilm.php?news=woman-sentenced-to-lwop

Does capital punishment deter crime? Arguable Claim: "Common sense, lately bolstered by statistics, tells us that the death penalty will deter murder... People fear nothing more than death. Therefore, nothing will deter a criminal more than the fear of death... life in prison is less feared.” - Ernest Van Den Haag, PhD Image: http://www.acadp.org/contents/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=100041 CON: "[T]here is no credible evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than long terms of imprisonment. States that have death penalty laws do not have lower crime rates or murder rates than states without such laws. And states that have abolished capital punishment show no significant changes in either crime or murder rates. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Those who commit crime do not consider consequences of their actions. Willie L. Williams, Police Chief A New York times survey shows homicides in states with Capital Punishment have been 48% to 101% higher than those without the death penalty Image: http://www.acadp.org/contents/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=100041

Retribution Arguable Claim: Cons: “Society is justly ordered when each person receives what is due to him. Crime disturbs this just order, for the criminal takes from people their lives, peace, liberties, and worldly goods in order to give himself undeserved benefits.” -J. Budziszewski, PhD Cons: "Retribution is just another word for revenge, and the desire for revenge is one of the lowest human emotions — perhaps sometimes understandable, but not really a rational response to a critical situation.” American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) "We see the death penalty as perpetuating a cycle of violence and promoting a sense of vengeance in our culture. As we said in Confronting a Culture of Violence: 'We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing.'” U.S. Catholic Conference How will one be able to repay a life lost of discovered that a mistake was made? Americans must rethink how to safeguard the country without bartering away the rights and privileges of the free society that we are defending. The New York Times

Irrevocable Mistakes Cons: Arguable Claim: Capital Punishment is suppose to be sentenced if the crime was done BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Yet, the claim states that no just system can produce results which are 100% certain. "...Since the reinstatement of the modern death penalty, 87 people have been freed from death row because they were later proven innocent. That is a demonstrated error rate of 1 innocent person for every 7 persons executed. Russ Feingold, JD Anthony Graves was convicted of the 1992 mass murder of six people. His conviction was overturned in 2006 and he waited for years for a retrial. On Oct. 27, 2010, he was released after the Washington-Burleson County District Attorney concluded, "He’s an innocent man. There is nothing that connects Anthony Graves to this crime.” Issues such as is the death penalty race related then become questionable Arguable Claim: "...No system of justice can produce results which are 100% certain all the time. Mistakes will be made in any system which relies upon human testimony for proof. We should be vigilant to uncover and avoid such mistakes. Our system of justice rightfully demands a higher standard for death penalty cases. -Steven D. Stewart, JD

Life Without Parole (LWOP) Raymond Paternoster Image: http://www.ccjs.umd.edu/faculty/faculty.asp?p=33

LWOP Cost Ensuring Justice Images: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&cp=13&gs_id=1r&xhr=t&q=raymond+paternoster&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw., http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/

Protection of the Public Ensuring the Innocent are not executed. LWOP Protection of the Public Ensuring the Innocent are not executed. Images: http://www.uchinatravel.com/china-travel-guide-2/Safety/6317.html, http://vintagemetalart.com/shop/index.php?cPath=35

Summary