The Controversy over the Death Penalty Essay - 2481 Words

The Controversy over the Death Penalty HE STOOD AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE EXECUTION chamber in Huntsville, Texas,18 minutes from death by lethal injection, when official word finally came that the needle wouldnt be needed that day The rumors of a 30day reprieve were true. Ricky McGinn, a 43-year-old mechanic found guilty of raping and killing his 12-yearold stepdaughter, will get his chance to prove his innocence with advanced DNA testing that hadnt been available at the time of his 1994 conviction. The double cheeseburger, french fries and Dr Pepper he requested for dinner last Thursday night wont be his last meal after all. Another galvanizing moment in the long-running debate over capital punishment: last week Gov. George†¦show more content†¦Because Texas provides only $ 2,500 for investigators and expert witnesses in death-penalty appeals (enough for one days work, if that), it took an unpaid investigator from out of state, Tina Church, to getthe ball rolling. After NEWSWEEK shone a light on the then obscure case (A Life or Death Gamble, May 29), Scheck and the A-team of the Texas defense bar joined the appeal with a well-crafted brief to the trial court. When the local judge surprised observers by recommending that the testing be done, it caught Bushs attention. The hard-line higher state court and board of pardons both said no to the DNA testswith no public explanation. This time, though, the eyes of the nation were on Texas, and Bush stepped in. But what about the hundreds of other capital cases that unfold far from the glare of a presidential campaign? As science sprints ahead of the law, assembly-line executions are making even supporters of the death penalty increasingly uneasy. McGinns execution would have been the fifth in two weeks in Texas, the 132d on Bushs watch. Is that pace too fast? We now know that prosecutorial mistakes are not as rare as once assumed; competent counsel not as common. Since the Supreme Court allowed reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, 87 death-row inmates haveShow MoreRelatedControversy Over The Death Penalty2147 Words   |  9 PagesA Controversy over the Death Penalty Over the years criminals were dealt with in many different ways: they were sent to jail, getting little punishment, or in worse cases, death. The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy, and it is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. The death penalty is the highest punishment administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. This is the only punishment that leaves room for no mistakes. TheRead MoreThe Controversy Over the Death Penalty Essay907 Words   |  4 PagesThe Controversy Over the Death Penalty Why is the death penalty used as a means of punishment for crime? Is this just a way to solve the nations growing problem of overcrowded prisons, or is justice really being served? 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The financial expenses may be betterRead More The Case Against Capital Punishment Essays784 Words   |  4 Pagesis murder.   It is as simple as that.   There have been so many different controversies surrounding this debate that often, the issues become clouded in false statistics and slewed arguments.   The basic fact remains that killing is morally and ethically wrong.   This fact does not disappear by simply changing the term murder to capital punishment.   The act is still the taking of a life.   On these grounds, the death penalty should be abo lished. Proponents of capital punishment believe that killingRead MoreThe Death Penalty Of The United States948 Words   |  4 Pages The death penalty is a huge controversy in the United States. There are many different feelings regarding the death penalty. Some feel like it is the easy way out for people who have committed heinous acts, and others feel like it is the perfect justice for those individuals. An argument made by the website ListVerse explained, that people teach their children not to steal, or commit crimes because they will be sent to prison and punished (ListVerse). Completing their argument, the same websiteRead MoreDeath Penalty: Morally Wrong? Appropriate Punishment?939 Words   |  4 PagesShelby Dinkel Wagoner English IV 28 November 2012 Death Penalty: Morally Wrong? Appropriate Punishment? Since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated by the United States Supreme Court there has been approximately 1,317 convicted criminals executed. Out of those executed, 12 were female. These executions have been held in 34 different states with Texas being the highest at 37 percent. The majority of the time lethal injection and the electric chair were used. However, gas chambers, hanging