Fields

Outline:CapitalPunishment

I. Introduction
A. Background
1. HookLosingalovedoneisverydifficult.Losingalovedoneandnot
receivingjusticeisevenmoredifficult.
2. Background
a. Thedeathpenaltyiswhenthegovernmenttakesapersonslifeasa
punishmentforwrongdoing.Thelegaltermiscapitalpunishment.The
deathpenaltyisthemostextremepunishmentagovernmentcanuseonits
citizens(Stearman6).
b. Controversyoverthedeathpenaltyisrecentinthehistoryofhumankind.
Mostancientsocietiesacceptedtheideathatcertaincrimesdeserved
capitalpunishment(Williams16).
c. Apartfromabriefperiodbetween1972and1976,thedeathpenaltyhas
beenincontinuoususeintheU.S.,althoughthesituationvariesbetween
states(Stearman8).
d. EighthAmendmentanalysisrequiresthatcourtsconsidertheevolving
standardsofdecencytodetermineifaparticularpunishmentconstitutesa
cruelorunusualpunishment(DeathPenalty).
e. Supporterssaygovernmentsmustkeepthedeathpenaltybecauseitisthe
onlyappropriateandeffectivepunishmentforcertaincrimes.Theysayits
usestopsfuturecrimesbyexecutingviolentoffenders.Theyalsoargueit
detersothercriminals,bringsrelieftovictims,andoverall,makessociety
saferforeveryone(Stearman7).
f. Opponentssaythedeathpenaltyisstatesponsoredkillingandthatishas
noplaceinamodernsociety.Inaddition,theyarguethatitisacrueland
painfulpunishment,usedinunfairordiscriminatorywaysitisalso
subjecttoerrorandcanneverbereversed.Theybelieveithasnovalueas
adeterrent,doesnothelpthefamiliesofvictimsand,ingeneral,leadstoa
moreviolentandlesshumanesociety(Stearman7).
3. ThesisStatement(Whatareyoutryingtoprove?)
Capitalpunishment
shouldbemadelegalineverystateandshouldbeusedinallcasesin
whichfirstdegreemurderwascommittedbecauseitprovidesjusticefor
thevictimsfamily,itdeterscrimes,andpreventstheprisonerfromthe
chanceofescaping/restartingtheirlife.
II. Bodyofresearchpaper
A. ThesisSupport#1Justice
1. FirstmainideaofcategoryThedeathpenaltyprovidesjusticeforthe
victimsfamily.
a. Apartfromthecondemnedprisoners,thosewhoaremostaffected
aretheirfamiliesandthefamiliesofthevictims(Stearman41).
b. Theyseektounderstandhowandwhytheirlovedonediedand
veryoftentheyaredisappointedinwhattheyfind.Itisnot
surprisingthatmanywanttoseethecriminalsufferinreturnand,

Fields2

infact,inmanycourtsvictimsfamiliescanstatetheirviewsand
wishesinavictimimpactstatement(Stearman42).
c. Furthermore,itisarguedthatthedeathpenaltyisnotsimplya
matterofjusticebutitisnecessaryforemotionalclosure.In
otherwords,onlyoncethecriminalhasbeenexecutedcanthe
familyendtheirsufferingandmoveonwiththeirlives(Stearman
42).
d. RandyBrowningwatchedfrombehindtheglassasKimberly
McCarthyslippedquietlyintounconsciousness,snoredbriefly,
thenfinallystoppedbreathing.Itdidn'tmattertohimthatthis
womanwho'dbrutallystabbedandmutilatedhisbeloved
godmotherandmentorwasallowedapeaceful,painlessdeath.
ForBrowning,itwasenoughtoknowthatDorothyBooth's
murdererwasnomore(Breed).

B. ThesisSupport#2Deterrent
1. FirstmainideaofcategoryThedeathpenaltydeterscrimes.
a. Oneofthemostcommonargumentsinfavorofthedeathpenalty
isthatitactsasadeterrentpeoplearelesslikelytocommit
similarcrimesiftheyknowthattheywillbeexecutediftheydo
(Stearman34).
b. In1950,82felonswereexecutedmostofthemhadcommitteda
homicide.Duringthatsameyear,therewere7,020homicidesthat
occurredandwerereported.Tenyearslater,therewereonly56
executionsthattookplaceandthenumberofreportedhomicides
roseto9,140(McCuenandBaumgart67).
c. Speedingupexecutionswouldstrengthenthedeterrenteffect.For
every2.75yearscutfromtimespentondeathrow,onemurder
wouldbeprevented,accordingtoa2004studybyanEmory
Universityprofessor(Alfano).
d.
Andin2009,researchersfoundthatadoptingstatelawsallowing
defendantsinchildmurdercasestobeeligibleforthedeath
penaltywasassociatedwithanalmost20percentreductioninrates
ofthesecrimes(Muhlhausen).

C. ThesisSupport#3Preventsescapes
1. FirstmainideaofcategoryThedeathpenaltypreventstheprisonerfrom
thechanceofescaping/restartingtheirlife.
a. Supportersarguethatexecutionscouldoccurquickeriftherewere
changesinthelegalsystemthatcutthelongappealsprocess
(Stearman40).
b.
AccordingtotheBureauofJusticeStatistics,in19986,530people

Fields3

eitherescapedorwereAWOLfromstateprisons(HowOftenDo
PrisonersEscape?).
c. Thevastmajorityofescapeesarewalkawaysfromcommunity
correctionsfacilitiesthathaveminimalsupervision(HowOften
DoPrisonersEscape?).
d. Itistheultimatepunishment,reservedfortheworstoffenders,
anditremovesthempermanentlyfromsociety(Stearman18).
D. Counterargument
1. ThedeathpenaltyshouldnotbeadministeredinAmericansocietydueto
greatexpense,nonuniformityinpractice,anditsbarbaricnature.
2. Rebuttal
a. StephenMarkman,alawyerinDetroit,believesthatjustbecausesomeone
mightbewronglyconvictedandsentencedtoexecution,doesnotgive
justificationforcompletelyeliminatingthedeathpenalty.Hestates,The
deathpenaltyservestoprotectavastlygreaternumberofinnocentlives
thanarelikelytobelostthroughitserroneousapplication....Asociety
wouldbeguiltyofasuicidalfailureofnerveifitweretoforegotheuseof
anappropriatepunishmentsimplybecauseitisnothumanlypossibleto
eliminatetheriskofmistakeentirely(Williams14).
b. Withtheaveragetimeconsumedbyappealsbetweensentencingand
executionnowatabout10years,andwiththearrivalofDNAtestingin
the1990s,thelikelihoodofwrongfulexecutionsislessthanever
(Williams153).

III. Conclusion
A. RestatethesisCapitalpunishmentshouldbeusedinfirstdegreemurdercases
becauseitprovidesjustice,deterscrimes,andpreventstheprisonerfrom
escaping.
B. TieThesistopicstogether
1. Familiesofvictimsseekjusticethroughthedeathpenalty.Ifsomeone
killssomeoneelse,theyshouldbekilledalso.
2. Crimeratesdecreasewhenthedeathpenaltyisapossibility.Peopleare
notwillingtosacrificegettingintroubleasmuchiftheyknowtheymight
getexecuted.
3. Ifyouexecuteaprisoner,thereisnochanceofthemescapingandstarting
anewlifeinwhichtheydonotdeserve.
C. Concludingthoughts
a. just,fair,safe