amelia perry advanced english 12 october 16, 2009
TRANSCRIPT
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