Capital Punishment
Capital Punishment | Racism Influences Death- Sentence Decisions
“The evidence shows that there is a better than even chance in Georgia that race will influence the decision to impose the death penalty: a majority of defendants in white-victim crimes would not have been sentenced to die if their victims had been black.”
Surprisingly, those words were written by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan when he criticized the Court majority for continuing to uphold a “capital-sentencing system in which race more likely than not plays a role. . . .”
Racism: it’s a nasty word, and many people would prefer to look the...
[The entire page is 2233 words long]
Navigate
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Is Capital Punishment Ethical?
-
Chapter 2: Is Capital Punishment Administered Fairly?
- The Death Penalty and Fairness: An Overview
- Capital Punishment Is Applied Unfairly
- Racism Influences Death- Sentence Decisions
- The Litigation Process for Capital Defendants Is Unfair
- Reforms Are Needed to Prevent the Execution of Innocent People
- Claims About the Unfairness of Capital Punishment Are Unfounded
- Capital Punishment Is Not Applied Unfairly to Blacks
- Unfair Application of Capital Punishment Does Not Justify Abolishing It
- The Death Penalty Should Be Carried Out More Promptly
- Chapter 3: Is Capital Punishment an Effective Deterrent to Crime?
-
Chapter 4: Should Capital Punishment Be Abolished?
- Chapter 4 Preface
- The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished
- The Death Penalty Should Be Retained
- Capital Punishment Should Not Be Applied Unless Absolutely Necessary
- Capital Punishment Deserves Cautious Support
- Life Without Parole Is Preferable to the Death Penalty
- The Death Penalty Is Preferable to Life Without Parole
- Mentally Disadvantaged Killers Should Not Be Sentenced to Death
- The Mental Competence of a Murderer Can Be Difficult to Determine
- Organizations to Contact
- Bibliography
- Copyright
Tell a friend about Capital Punishment at eNotes.
