The U.S. Supreme Court's restoration of the death penalty in 1976 sparked a continuing national debate on whether capital punishment constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Many will agree that capital punishment, the execution of criminals by state, deters murder with just retribution. Capital punishment, which is favored by the overwhelming majority of United States citizens, is an expression of the will of the majority in a democratic society. The death penalty discourages murder by putting the fear of death into criminals. Capital punishment is therefore not a cruel and unusual punishment but a symbol of public authority. Then in 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court seemingly outlawed the death penalty in Furman v. Georgia. In 1976, the Court reversed itself in Gregg v. Georgia, on the grounds that legislative responses to Furman had indicated a strong public support for death sentences in murder cases. This was evidenced by the fact that after Furman, 28 states had written new......
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Approximate Pages: 17 (260 words per double-spaced page) |