Capital punishment is the legal process which ends the life of a felon. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. The debate about Capital punishment, colloquially known as the death penalty, is highly controversial Most major world religions take an ambiguous position on the morality of Capital punishment. Wrongful execution is a Miscarriage of justice occurring when an innocent person is put to death by Capital punishment, the "death penalty Capital punishment was last used in Australia in 1967, when Ronald Ryan was hanged in Victoria, he was the last Capital punishment in Brazil was last used in 1861 and has not been officially used since the proclamation of the Republic in 1889. The only method used in Canada for Capital punishment was Hanging. The People's Republic of China currently uses Capital punishment for many crimes from Tax evasion and Political corruption to The death penalty has been totally abolished in almost all European countries (47 out of 50 Capital punishment in France existed officially from the Middle Ages and was abolished in 1981 Capital punishment in Germany has been abolished The current Constitution of Germany ("Grundgesetz" as adopted in 1949, does not allow Capital Capital punishment in India is legal but rareDuring the late 1900's, about 40 people were executed In Italy, the first pre-unitarian state to abolish the Death penalty was the Grand Duchy of Tuscany as of November 30, 1786, under the reign Capital punishment in Iraq was commonly used by the government of Saddam Hussein. Capital punishment is legal in Japan, with the only crimes for which this is the statutory punishment being Homicide and Treason. Capital punishment in Malaysia applies to Murder, Drug trafficking, Treason, and waging war against Yang di-Pertuan Agong Capital punishment in New Zealand first appeared in a codified form when New Zealand became a British territory in 1840 and was first employed in in 1842 Capital punishment was legal in Pakistan since its inception till 2008 Capital punishment in the Philippines has a varied history and on June 24 2006, was abolished Both the legal and moral status of Capital punishment in Russia are currently controversial Capital punishment is a legal form of Punishment in Singapore. Capital punishment is a legal form of Punishment in the Republic of China ( Taiwan) Methods of capital punishment Methods of execution used to carry out Capital punishment have varied over time and include Burning, especially Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head or beheading, is the cutting off of the head of a person or animal Execution by electrocution (usually referred to after its method of implementation as the Electric Chair) is an execution method originating in the United States in which the Execution by firing squad is a method of Capital punishment, particularly common in times of war A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing consisting of a sealed chamber into which a Poisonous or Asphyxiant gas is introduced Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death Execution by shooting is a form of Capital punishment whereby an executed person is shot by one or more Firearms It is the most common method of execution Methods of capital punishment Methods of execution used to carry out Capital punishment have varied over time and include Burning, especially Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. In the United States, in modern times, it is employed rarely and, in practice, only in cases involving murder. The history of U. S. capital punishment begins in the colonies under the laws of their mother countries and was carried over into U. S. law and the law of most of the U. S. states and territories. The methods of execution and the crimes subject to the penalty vary by jurisdiction and have varied widely throughout time. Some jurisdictions have banned it, others have suspended its use, but others are trying to expand its applicability. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, there have been 1,099 executions in the United States as of April 2008. ^[1] There were 42 executions in 2007. ^[1] The United States is the only industrial, fully developed, Western country that still uses the death penalty.

Capital punishment is a controversial issue, with many prominent organizations and individuals participating in the debate. Arguments for and against capital punishment are based on moral, practical, religious, and emotional grounds. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Advocates of the death penalty argue that it deters crime, improves the community by making sure that convicted criminals do not offend again, provides closure to surviving victims or loved ones, and is a just penalty for their crime. Opponents of the death penalty refute many of the claims of its advocates including the arguments of deterrence, cost and of ensuring a prisoner is never allowed back into the community. Opponents also state that "capital punishment cheapens human life and puts government on the same low moral level as criminals who have taken life. "^[2]

Between 1973 and 1995, 67% of capital convictions in the United States were eventually overturned, mainly on procedural grounds of incompetent legal counsel, police or prosecutors who suppressed evidence, judges who gave jurors the wrong instructions and mass commutations by governors personally opposed to the death penalty. ^[3][4] Among those whose sentences were overturned, seven percent were acquitted and ten percent were retried and re-sentenced to death. ^[4] The remainder typically ended up with lesser sentences, up to and including life imprisonment. Life imprisonment or life incarceration is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime often for most

History of Capital Punishment

Death penalty statutes in the United States
Color key:      No current death penalty statute      Death penalty declared unconstitutional      No-one executed since 1976      Has performed execution since 1976

The Espy file^[5] lists 15,269 people executed in the United States and its predecessors between 1608 and 1991. 4,661 executions occurred in the U. S. in the period from 1930 to 2002 with about two-thirds of the executions occurring in the first 20 years. ^[6] Additionally the United States Army executed 160 soldiers between 1930 and 1961. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The last United States Navy execution was in 1849.

The largest single execution in United States history was the hanging of 38 Dakota people convicted of murder and rape in the Dakota War of 1862. Sioux (pronounced SUE are a Native American and First Nations people Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person The Dakota War of 1862 (also known as the Sioux Uprising, Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U They were executed simultaneously on December 26, 1862 in Mankato, Minnesota. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday A single blow from an axe cut the rope that held the large four-sided platform, and the prisoners (except for one whose rope had broken, and who consequently had to be restrung) fell to their deaths. ^[7] The second largest mass execution in United States history was also a hanging: the execution of 13 African American soldiers for their parts in the Houston Riot. The Houston Riot of 1917 was a mutiny by one hundred and fifty black soldiers of the Third Battalion of the (black Twenty-fourth United States Infantry. Notably, both incidents involved ethnic minority defendants, and military tribunal judgments in time of war.

On June 2, 1967, Luis Monge was executed in Colorado's gas chamber, resulting in the last pre-Furman execution. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing consisting of a sealed chamber into which a Poisonous or Asphyxiant gas is introduced Furman v Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty

Suspension by Supreme Court

Further information: Furman v. Georgia

Capital punishment was suspended in the United States from 1972 through 1976 primarily as a result of the Supreme Court's decision in Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972). Furman v Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty Furman v Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty In this case, the court found the imposition of the death penalty in a consolidated group of cases to be unconstitutional, on the grounds of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth amendment to the United States Constitution. Constitutionality is the status of a law, a procedure or an act's accordance with the laws or guidelines set forth in the applicable Constitution. The Eighth Amendment ( Amendment VIII) to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights which took effect in 1791 The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States.

In Furman, the United States Supreme Court considered a group of consolidated cases. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. The lead case involved an individual convicted under Georgia's death penalty statute, which featured a "unitary trial" procedure in which the jury was asked to return a verdict of guilt or innocence and, simultaneously, determine whether the defendant would be punished by death or life imprisonment.

In a five-to-four decision, the Supreme Court struck down the imposition of the death penalties in each of the consolidated cases as unconstitutional. The five justices in the majority did not produce a single opinion or rationale for their decision, however, and agreed only on a short statement announcing the result. The narrowest opinions, those of Justice White and Justice Stewart, expressed generalized concerns about the inconsistent application of the death penalty across a variety of cases but did not exclude the possibility of a constitutional death penalty law. Justices Stewart and Douglas worried explicitly about racial discrimination in enforcement of the death penalty. Justice Marshall and Justice Brennan expressed the opinion that the death penalty was proscribed absolutely by the Eighth Amendment as "cruel and unusual" punishment.

Though many observers expected few, if any, states to readopt the death penalty after Furman, 37 states did in fact enact new death penalty statutes which attempted to address the concerns of White and Stewart. Some of the states responded by enacting "mandatory" death penalty statutes which prescribed a sentence of death for anyone convicted of certain forms of murder (Justice White had hinted such a scheme would meet his constitutional concerns in his Furman opinion). Other states adopted "bifurcated" trial and sentencing procedures, with various procedural limitations on the jury's ability to pronounce a death sentence designed to limit juror discretion. The Court clarified Furman in Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1976) and Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 325 (1976), 431 U.S. 633 ( 1977), which explicitly forbade any state from punishing a specific form of murder (such as that of a police officer) with a mandatory death penalty. Gregg v Georgia, Proffitt v Florida, Jurek v Texas, Woodson v Gregg v Georgia, Proffitt v Florida, Jurek v Texas, Woodson v

Capital punishment resumed

Further information: Gregg v. Georgia

In 1976, contemporaneously with Woodson and Roberts, the Court decided Gregg v. Georgia, 153 428 U.S. 153 (1976) and upheld a procedure in which the trial of capital crimes was bifurcated into guilt-innocence and sentencing phases. Gregg v Georgia, Proffitt v Florida, Jurek v Texas, Woodson v Gregg v Georgia, Proffitt v Florida, Jurek v Texas, Woodson v At the first proceeding, the jury decides the defendant's guilt; if the defendant is innocent or otherwise not convicted of first-degree murder, the death penalty will not be imposed. At the second hearing, the jury determines whether certain statutory aggravating factors exist, and whether any mitigating factors exist, and, in many jurisdictions, weigh the aggravating and mitigating factors in assessing the ultimate penalty — either death or life in prison, either with or without parole. A mitigating factor, in Law, is any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime that might result in reduced

The 1977 Coker v. Georgia decision barred the death penalty for rape, and, by implication, for any offense other than murder. Coker v Georgia,, held that the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution forbade the Death penalty for the crime of rape of an adult woman Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person The current federal kidnapping statute, however, may be exempt due to the fact that the death penalty applies if the victim expires in the perpetrator's custody, not necessarily by his hand, thus stipulating a resulting death, which was the wording of the objection. In addition, the federal government retains the death penalty for such non-murder offenses as treason, espionage and crimes under military jurisdiction; there has been no challenge to these statutes as of 2007. )

Executions resumed on January 17, 1977, when Gary Gilmore went before a firing squad in Utah. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Gary Mark Gilmore ( December 4, 1940 — January 17, 1977) was an American Criminal and Spree killer Execution by firing squad is a method of Capital punishment, particularly common in times of war The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. But the pace was quite halting due to use of litigation tactics which involved filing repeated writs for habeas corpus, which succeeded for many in delaying their actual execution for many years. Although hundreds of individuals were sentenced to death in the U. S. during the 1970s and early 1980s, only ten people besides Gilmore (who had waived all of his appeal rights) were actually executed prior to 1984.

Possibly in part due to expedited federal habeas corpus procedures embodied in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, the pace of executions has picked up. See also Habeas corpus Habeas corpus (/'heɪbiəs 'kɔɹpəs/ Latin for "you have the body" is the name of a legal action or Writ by means of The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub Since the death penalty was reauthorized in 1976 1,029 people have been executed, almost exclusively by the states, with most occurring after 1990. Texas has accounted for over a third of modern executions (385 as of 8 March 2007); the federal government has executed only 3 people in the last 27 years. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. California has the greatest number of prisoners on death row, but has held relatively few executions. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Throw Away The Key, a group that advocates tougher sentences and victim's rights, estimates that about 1800 people were murdered by the first 1000 people executed since 1976. This is out of a total of 600,000 people murdered in the United States since 1975. ^[8]

In addition, the Supreme Court has utilized IQ test results during the sentencing phase of some criminal proceedings. An Intelligence Quotient or IQ is a score derived from one of several different Standardized tests attempting to measure Intelligence. In Law, a sentence forms the final act of a Judge -ruled process and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function The Supreme Court case of Atkins v. Virginia, decided June 20, 2002,^[9] held that executions of mentally retarded criminals are "cruel and unusual punishments" prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. Atkins v Virginia,, is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 6-3 that executing the Mentally retarded violates the Eighth Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Mental retardation is a generalized triarchic disorder characterized by subaverage cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors with onset before the age

After the Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005), the minimum age at time of crime to be subject to the death penalty was raised to 18. Roper v Simmons, was a decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that it is unconstitutional to impose Capital punishment for crimes

Crimes subject to capital punishment

Crimes subject to the death penalty vary by jurisdiction. All jurisdictions which use capital punishment designate the highest grade of murder a capital crime, although most jurisdictions require aggravating circumstances. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries Treason is a capital offense in several jurisdictions. In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. ^[10] Other capital crimes include: aggravated rape in Louisiana, Florida, and Oklahoma; extortionate kidnapping in Oklahoma; aggravated kidnapping in Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky and South Carolina; aircraft hijacking in Alabama; drug trafficking resulting in a person's death in Connecticut; train wrecking which leads to a person's death, and perjury which leads to a person's death in California. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. In Criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or Asportation of a person against the person's will usually to hold the person in False imprisonment The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[10][11][12] In practice, no one has been executed for a crime other than murder or conspiracy to murder since James Coburn was executed for robbery in Alabama on September 4, 1964. Robbery is the Crime of seizing Property through Violence or Intimidation. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. ^[13]

As of December 2007 there are two death row inmates convicted of a crime other than murder — both in Louisiana - Patrick O. Kennedy, who was sentenced to death for the aggravated rape of his then eight year old stepdaughter,^[14] and Richard L. Davis who has a history of rapes of children. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Juan Manuel Alvarez is currently facing charges for train wrecking in California. Juan Manuel Álvarez (born February 26, 1979) a laborer from Compton California, is a Californian convicted of causing Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. ^[15].

The most recent executions solely for crimes other than homicide were, respectively:

• Rape - Ronald Wolfe on May 8, 1964, in Missouri. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee
• Criminal assault - Rudolph Wright on January 11, 1962, in California. Assault is a Crime of Violence against another person. In some Jurisdictions including Australia and New Zealand, Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Kidnapping - Billy Monk on November 21, 1960, in California. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Robbery/rape/kidnapping - Caryl Chessman on May 2, 1960, in California. Caryl Whittier Chessman ( May 27, 1921 &ndash May 2, 1960) was a convicted robber and rapist who gained fame as a Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Espionage - Ethel and Julius Rosenberg on June 19, 1953, in New York (Federal execution)
• Desertion - Eddie Slovik on January 31, 1945, in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France (Execution by firing squad). Julius Rosenberg (May 12 1918 &ndash June 19 1953 and Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg (September 28 1915 &ndash June 19 1953 were American Communists who were executed Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous In Military terminology desertion is the Abandonment of a " Duty " or post without permission from one's Government or superior Edward Donald Slovik ( February 18, 1920 &ndash January 31, 1945) was a private in the United States Army during World War Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (German Markirch) is a commune of the Haut-Rhin département, in France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Execution by firing squad is a method of Capital punishment, particularly common in times of war ^[16]
• Burglary - Frank Bass on August 8, 1941, in Alabama. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Train Robbery - Black Jack Ketchum April 26, 1901 in Clayton, New Mexico (then a territory rather than a state). Train robbery is a type of Robbery, in which the goal is to steal Money or other valuables being carried aboard Trains They were more common in the past Thomas Edward Ketchum ( October 31 1863 &ndash April 26 1901) also known as "Black Jack" was at first an ordinary Cowboy Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Clayton is a Town in Union County, New Mexico, United States. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America.
• Arson - George Hughes, George Smith, and Asbury Hughes on August 1, 1884, in Alabama. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year
• Piracy - Nathaniel Gordon on February 21, 1862, in New York (Federal execution). Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering Nathaniel Gordon (c 1834 &ndash February 21, 1862) was the first and only American slave trader to be tried convicted and executed "for being engaged Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday
• Treason - John Conn in 1862 in Texas.
• Slave revolt - Slaves named Caesar, Sam and Sanford on 19 October 1860, in Alabama. A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves. Slave rebellions have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery and are amongst the most feared events Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting
• Aiding a runaway slave - Starling Carlton in 1859 in South Carolina.
• Theft - Slave named Jake on December 3, 1855, in Alabama. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year
• Horse stealing - James Wilson and Fred Salkman on 28 November 1851, in California. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year
• Forgery - Unknown defendant on 6 March 1840, in South Carolina. Forgery is the process of making adapting or imitating objects statistics or documents (see False document) with the intent to deceive. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year
• Counterfeiting - Thomas Davis on 11 October 1822, in Alabama. A counterfeit is an imitation that is made usually with the intent to deceptively represent its content or origins Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the
• Sodomy/buggery/bestiality - Joseph Ross on December 20, 1785, in Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. Sodomy (ˈsɒdəmi is a term used today predominantly in Law (derived from traditional Christian usage to describe the act of Anal intercourse, Oral intercourse Anal sex most often refers to the sex act involving insertion of the Penis into the Rectum. Zoophilia, from the Greek ζῷον ( zṓion, "animal" and φιλία ( philia, "friendship" or "love" is a Paraphilia Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 1785 ( MDCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Westmoreland County is a County located in the US state of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern
• Concealing the birth/death of an infant - Hannah Piggen in 1785 in Middlesex, Massachusetts. Concealing a birth is the act of a parent (or other responsible person failing to report the birth of a Child. Middlesex County is a County located in the US state of Massachusetts. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States.
• Witchcraft - African American person named Manuel on June 15, 1779, in (present-day) Illinois. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1779 ( MDCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union.

Several people who were executed have received posthumous pardons for their crimes. For example, slave revolt was a capital crime, and many who were executed for that reason have since been posthumously pardoned.

The legal process

The legal administration of the death penalty in the United States is complex. Typically, it involves four critical steps: (1) Sentencing, (2) Direct Review, (3) State Collateral Review, and (4) Federal Habeas Corpus. In Law, a sentence forms the final act of a Judge -ruled process and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief Recently, a narrow and final fifth level of process—(5) the Section 1983 Challenge—has become increasingly important. The Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, is an important federal statute in force in the United States. ^[17] (Clemency or Pardon, through which the Governor or President of the jurisdiction can unilaterally reduce or abrogate a death sentence, is an executive rather than legal process. A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State ^[18])

Direct review

If a defendant is sentenced to death at the trial level, the case then goes into a direct review. ^[19] The direct review process is a typical legal appeal. In Law, an appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision An appellate court examines the record of evidence presented in the trial court and the law that the lower court applied and decides whether the decision was legally sound or not. Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal ^[20] Direct review of a capital sentencing hearing will result in one of three outcomes. If the appellate court finds that no significant legal errors occurred in the capital sentencing hearing, the appellate court will affirm the judgment, or let the sentence stand. ^[21] If the appellate court finds that significant legal errors did occur, then it will reverse the judgment, or nullify the sentence and order a new capital sentencing hearing. ^[22] Lastly, if the appellate court finds that no reasonable juror could find the defendant eligible for the death penalty, a rarity, then it will order the defendant acquitted, or legally innocent, of the death penalty and order him sentenced to the next most severe punishment for which the offense is eligible. ^[23] A majority of death sentences, however — about 60% — survive the process of direct review intact. ^[24]

State collateral review

At times when a death sentence is affirmed on direct review, it is considered final. Yet, supplemental methods to attack the judgment, though less familiar than a typical appeal, do remain. These supplemental remedies are considered collateral review, that is, an avenue for upsetting judgments that have become otherwise final. ^[25] Where the prisoner received his death sentence in a state-level trial, as is usually the case, the first step in collateral review is State Collateral Review. (If the case is a federal death penalty case, it proceeds immediately from direct review to federal habeas corpus. ) Although all states have some type of collateral review, the process varies widely from state to state. ^[26] Generally, the purpose of these collateral proceedings is to permit the prisoner to challenge his sentence on grounds that could not have been raised reasonably at trial or on direct review. ^[27] Most often these are claims, such as ineffective assistance of counsel, which require the court to consider new evidence outside the original trial record, something courts may not do in an ordinary appeal. Ineffective assistance of counsel is an issue raised in Legal malpractice suits and in appeals in criminal cases where a criminal Defendant asserts that their criminal In Law, an appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision State Collateral Review, though an important step in that it helps define the scope of subsequent review through Federal Habeas Corpus, is rarely successful in and of itself. Only around 6% of death sentences are overturned on State Collateral Review. ^[28]

Federal habeas corpus

After a death sentence is affirmed in State Collateral Review, the prisoner may file for Federal Habeas Corpus, which is a unique type of lawsuit that can be brought in federal courts. Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief Federal habeas corpus is a species of collateral review, and it is the only way that state prisoners may attack a death sentence in federal court (other than petitions for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court after both direct review and state collateral review). The scope of federal habeas corpus is governed by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which restricted significantly its previous scope. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub The purpose of Federal habeas corpus is to ensure that state courts, through the process of direct review and State Collateral Review, have done at least a reasonable job in protecting the prisoner's Federal Constitutional Rights. A constitutional right is a Right granted by a Government 's Constitution (on the national or sub-national level and cannot be legally denied by that government Prisoners may also use Federal habeas corpus suits to bring forth new evidence that they are innocent of the crime, though to be a valid defense at this late stage in the process, evidence of innocence must be truly compelling. ^[29]

Review through federal habeas corpus is narrow in theory, but it is important in practice. According to Eric Freedman, 21% of death penalty cases are reversed through federal habeas corpus. ^[30]

James Lieberman, a professor of law at the Columbia law school, stated in 1996 that his study found that when habeas corpus petitions in death penalty cases were traced from conviction to completition of the case that there was "a 40 percent success rate in all capital cases from 1978 to 1995. "^[31] Similarly, a study by Ronald Tabek in a law review article puts the success rate in habeas corpus cases involving death row inmates even higher, finding that between "1976 and 1991, approximately 47% of the habeas petitions filed by death row inmates were granted. " ^[32] The different numbers are largely definitional, rather than substantive. Freedam's statistics looks at the percentage of all death penalty cases reversed, while the others look only at cases not reversed prior to habeas corpus review.

Section 1983 contested

Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, a state prisoner is ordinarily only allowed one suit for habeas corpus in federal court. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub If the federal courts refuse to issue a writ of habeas corpus, the Governor may set an execution date. In Law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial Jurisdiction. In recent times, however, prisoners have postponed execution through a final round of federal litigation using the Civil Rights Act of 1871 — codified at 42 U.S.C. § 1983 — which allows people to bring lawsuits to protect their civil rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, is an important federal statute in force in the United States. Title 42 of the United States Code is the title of the United States Code dealing with Public health and Social welfare

Traditionally, Section 1983 was of limited use for a state prisoner under sentence of death because the Supreme Court has held that habeas corpus, not Section 1983, is the only vehicle by which a state prisoner can challenge his judgment of death. ^[33] In the recent Hill v. McDonough case, however, the United States Supreme Court approved the use of Section 1983 as a vehicle for challenging a state's method of execution as cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Factual background In 1983, Clarence E Hill was convicted of the murder of a Pensacola Florida police officer and subsequently sentenced to The Eighth Amendment ( Amendment VIII) to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights which took effect in 1791 The theory is that a prisoner bringing such a challenge is not attacking directly his judgment of death, but rather the means that the judgment will be carried out. Therefore, the Supreme Court held in the Hill case, a prisoner can use Section 1983 rather than habeas corpus to bring the lawsuit. Factual background In 1983, Clarence E Hill was convicted of the murder of a Pensacola Florida police officer and subsequently sentenced to Yet, as Clarence Hill's own case shows, lower federal courts have often refused to hear suits challenging methods of execution on the ground that the prisoner brought the claim too late and only for the purposes of delay. Clarence Edward Hill ( December 2, 1957 &ndash September 20, 2006) was a convicted murderer executed by the state of Florida.

Mitigating factor

The United States Supreme Court in Penry v. Lynaugh and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Bigby v. Dretke have been clear in their decisions that jury instructions in death penalty cases that do not ask about mitigating factors regarding the defendant's mental health violate the defendant's Eighth Amendment rights, saying that the jury is to be instructed to consider mitigating factors when answering unrelated questions. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Penry v Lynaugh,, sanctioned the death penalty for mentally retarded offenders because the Court determined executing the mentally retarded was not "cruel and unusual The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following Bigby v Dretke 402 F3d 551 (5th Cir 2005 the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit heard a case appealed from the Northern Court of Texas (trial court on the issue Jury instructions are the set of legal rules that Jurors should follow when the Jury is deciding a civil or criminal case A mitigating factor, in Law, is any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime that might result in reduced Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or Emotional wellbeing or an absence of a Mental disorder. This ruling suggests specific explanations to jury is necessary to weigh mitigating factors.

Methods

See list of state-by-state methods of execution.

Methods for executions in the United States

Number of executions each year by the method used in the United States and the earlier colonies from 1608 to 2004. The adoption of electrocution caused a marked drop off in the number of hangings, which was used even less with the use of the gas chamber. After Gregg v. Georgia, most states changed to lethal injection, leading to its rise. Gregg v Georgia, Proffitt v Florida, Jurek v Texas, Woodson v

Various methods have been used in the history of the American colonies and the United States but only five methods are currently used. Historically, burning, pressing, breaking on wheel and bludgeoning were used for a small number of executions, while hanging was the most common method. Execution by burning has a long history as a method of Punishment for Crimes such as Treason, Heresy and Witchcraft This article is about the method of execution See Crusher for a description of the manufacturing process and mechanisms for it The breaking wheel (also known as the Catherine wheel) was a torturous Capital punishment device used in the Middle Ages and early modern times for The last person burned to death was a black slave in South Carolina in August 1825. South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. ^[34] The last person to be hung in chains was a murderer named John Marshall in West Virginia on April 4, 1913. A gibbet is any of several different devices used in the public execution of criminals and the deterrence of future crime West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Although decapitation was a legal method in Utah for the second half of the 19th century, it was never employed. Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head or beheading, is the cutting off of the head of a person or animal The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. ^[35]

Currently lethal injection is the method used or allowed in 35 of the 36 states which allow the death penalty. Nebraska requires electrocution, although in 2008 the state supreme court ruled that this method is unconstitutional. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Execution by electrocution (usually referred to after its method of implementation as the Electric Chair) is an execution method originating in the United States in which the ^[36][37][38] Other states also allow electrocution, gas chambers, hanging and the firing squad. Execution by electrocution (usually referred to after its method of implementation as the Electric Chair) is an execution method originating in the United States in which the A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing consisting of a sealed chamber into which a Poisonous or Asphyxiant gas is introduced Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death Execution by firing squad is a method of Capital punishment, particularly common in times of war From 1976 to September 24, 2007 there were 1,098 executions, of which 928 were by lethal injection, 154 by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, 3 by hanging, and 2 by firing squad. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[39]

The federal death penalty allows any method of execution if the person was given a federal trial.

The use of lethal injection has almost become standard. From June 2000 to July 20, 2006, only 6 out of 387 executions have been by a different method. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The last execution by any other method was the use of the electric chair on September 12, 2007 when Daryl Holton was executed in Tennessee. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Daryl Keith Holton ( November 23, 1961 &ndash September 12, 2007) was an American convicted child killer executed by Electrocution Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. The last use of the gas chamber occurred on March 3, 1999 when Walter LaGrand was executed in Arizona,^[40] the last use of hanging was on 25 January 1996 when Delaware hanged Billy Bailey and the firing squad was also last used in 1996 when John Albert Taylor was shot in Utah on January 26. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Federal Republic of Germany v United States, ( per curiam) was a case in The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Billy Bailey (1947? - January 25, 1996) was a convicted Murderer Hanged in Delaware in 1996 John Albert Taylor (c 1960 &ndash January 26, 1996) was executed by Firing squad in Utah on January 26, 1996 at 1203 The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France.

The electric chair was the major method of execution during most of the 20th century. They developed a special nickname: Old Sparky (however, Alabama's electric chair became known as the "Yellow Mama" due to its unique color). Old Sparky is the Nickname of the Electric chairs of Texas, New York, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois Some, particularly in Florida, were noted for malfunctions, which caused discussion of their cruelty and resulted in a shift to lethal injection as the major method of execution. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Although lethal injection dominates as a method of execution, some states allow an alternate method and a few states allow at least some death-row inmates to choose the method by which they will be executed.

Regardless of the method, an hour or two before the execution, the condemned person is offered religious services, and a last meal. The last meal is a customary part of a condemned prisoner's last day Executions are carried out in private with only invited persons able to view the proceedings.

Ages of condemned prisoners

Executions in the United States from 1608 to 2004

Executions in the United States from 1930 to 2004

Total number of prisoners on Death Row in the United States from 1953 to 2003

Since 1642 (in the 13 colonies, the United States under the Articles of Confederation, and the current United States) an estimated 364 juvenile offenders have been put to death by states and the federal government. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, also the Articles of Confederation was the governing Constitution of the alliance of thirteen independent and The first known juvenile to be executed was Thomas Graunger in 1642. Thomas Granger or Graunger (1625? &ndash September 8, 1642) was the first person hanged in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (the first Twenty-two of the executions occurred after 1976, in seven states. Due to the slow process of appeals, it was highly unusual for a condemned person to be under 18 at the time of execution. The youngest person to be executed in the 20th century was George Stinney, at the age of 14, in 1944. George Junius Stinney Jr ( October 21, 1929 &ndash June 16, 1944) was at age 14 the youngest person executed in the United The last execution of a juvenile may have been Leonard Shockley, executed on April 10, 1959 at the age of 17. Leonard Shockley (born 1941 or 1942 died April 10 1959 was a juvenile executed in the United States for a murder committed when he was under the age of 18 Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. No one has been under age 19 at time of execution since at least 1964. ^[41][42] Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, 22 people have been executed for crimes committed under the age of 18. 21 were 17 at the time of the crime; one, Sean Sellers, executed on February 4, 1999 in Oklahoma, was 16. Sean Richard Sellers ( May 18, 1969 &ndash February 5, 1999) was an American Murderer and one of 22 persons in the Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. The last person to be executed for a crime committed as a juvenile was Scott Allen Hain on April 3, 2003 in Oklahoma. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. ^[43]

Before 2005, of the 31 U. S. states that allow capital punishment:

• 19 states and the federal government had set a minimum age of 18,
• Five states had set a minimum age of 17, and
• 14 states had explicitly set a minimum age of 16, or were subject to the Supreme Court's imposition of that minimum.

16 was held to be the minimum permissible age in the 1988 Supreme Court of the United States decision of Thompson v. Oklahoma. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Thompson v Oklahoma, 487 US 815 ( 1988) was the first case since the moratorium on Capital punishment was lifted in the United States The Supreme Court, considering the case Roper v. Simmons, in March 2005, found execution of juvenile offenders unconstitutional by a 5–4 margin, effectively raising the minimum permissible age to 18. Roper v Simmons, was a decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that it is unconstitutional to impose Capital punishment for crimes State laws have not been updated to conform with this decision. Under the US system, unconstitutional laws do not need to be repealed, but are instead held to be unenforceable. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society (See also List of juvenile offenders executed in the United States)

Distribution of sentences

Within the context of the overall murder rate, the death penalty cannot be said to be widely or routinely used in the United States; in recent years the average has been about one execution for about every 700 murders committed, or 1 execution for about every 325 murder convictions. This list of juvenile offenders executed in the United States consists of those people executed for criminal offences in the United States for which they were convicted

It is noted that the death penalty is sought and applied more often in some jurisdictions, not only between states but within states. A 2004 Cornell University study showed that while 2. 5% of murderers convicted nationwide were sentenced to the death penalty, in Nevada 6% were given the death penalty. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Texas gave 28% of murderers the death sentence, less than the national average. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Texas, however, executed 40% of those sentenced, which was about four times higher than the national average. California had executed only 1% of those sentenced. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

Only 1. 4% of those executed since 1976 have been women.

African Americans made up 41% of death row inmates while making up only 12% of the general population. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa (They have made up 34% of those actually executed since 1976. )^[44] Conversely, others note that this is lower than the 50% of the total prison population which was African American and that whites are in fact twice as likely as African Americans to receive the death penalty, and are also executed more quickly after sentencing. ^[45] Academic studies indicate that the single greatest predictor of whether a death sentence is given, however, is not the race of the defendant, but the race of the victim. According to a 2003 Amnesty International report, blacks and whites were the victims of murder in almost equal numbers, yet 80% of the people executed since 1977 were convicted of murders involving white victims. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to ^[46]

There are notable exceptions however, as half of the ten inmates on Connecticut's death row have been condemned for the murders of minorities and five of the 37 inmates executed in South Carolina were white men convicted of murdering African-Americans.

Public execution versus private execution

The last public execution in America was that of Rainey Bethea in Owensboro, Kentucky, on August 14, 1936. Rainey Bethea ( October 16, 1909 &ndash August 14, 1936) was the last person to be publicly executed in the United States Owensboro is the third-largest city in the US state of Kentucky and the County seat of Daviess County. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was the last death sentence in the nation at which the general public was permitted to attend without any legally-imposed restrictions. "Public execution" is a legal phrase, defined by the laws of various states, and carried out pursuant to a court order. Similar to "public record" or "public meeting," it means that anyone who wants to attend the execution may do so.

About 1890, a political movement developed in the United States to mandate private executions. Several states enacted laws which required executions to be conducted within a "wall" or "enclosure" to "exclude public view. " For example, in 1919, the Missouri legislature adopted a statute (L. 1919, p. 781) which required, "the sentence of death should be executed within the county jail, if convenient, and otherwise within an enclosure near the jail. " The Missouri law permitted the local sheriff to distribute passes to individuals (usually local citizens) whom he believed should witness the hanging, but the sheriffs—for various reasons—sometimes denied passes to individuals who wanted to watch. Missouri executions conducted after 1919 were not "public" because they were conducted behind closed walls, and the general public was not permitted to attend.

Present-day statutes from across the nation utilize the same words and phrases, requiring modern executions to take place within a wall or enclosure to exclude public view. Connecticut (CGSA 54-100) requires death sentences to be conducted in an "enclosure" which "shall be so constructed as to exclude public view. " Kentucky (KRS 431. 220) and Missouri (VAMS 546. 730) statutes contain substantially identical language. New Mexico's statute (NMSA 31-14-12) requires executions be conducted in a "room or place enclosed from public view. " Massachusetts (MGLA. 279 § 60) requires executions to take place "within an enclosure or building. " North Carolina (NCGSA § 15-188) requires death sentences to be executed "within the walls" of the penitentiary, as do Oklahoma (22 Okl. St. Ann. § 1015) and Montana (MCA 46-19-103). Ohio (RC § 2949. 22) requires, "The enclosure shall exclude public view. " Similarly, Tennessee (TCA § 40-23-116) requires "an enclosure" for "strict seclusion and privacy. " Federal law (18 U. S. C. A. § 3596 and 28 CFR 26. 3) specifically limits the witnesses to be present at an execution. .

Today, there are always witnesses to executions--sometimes numerous witnesses, but it is the law, not the number of witnesses present, which determines whether the execution is "public. "

All of the executions which have taken place since the 1936 hanging of Bethea in Owensboro have been conducted within a wall or enclosure. For example, Fred Adams was legally hanged in Kennett, Missouri, on April 2, 1937, within a 10-foot (3 m) wooden stockade. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Roscoe "Red" Jackson was hanged within a stockade in Galena, Missouri, on May 26, 1937. Galena is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 451 at the 2000 census Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Two Kentucky hangings were conducted after Galena in which numerous persons were present within a wooden stockade, that of John "Peter" Montjoy in Covington, Kentucky on December 17, 1937, and that of Harold Van Venison in Covington on June 3, 1938. Covington is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An estimated 400 witnesses were present for the hanging of Lee Simpson in Ryegate, Montana, on December 30, 1939. Ryegate is a town in and the County seat of Golden Valley County, Montana, United States. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The execution of Timothy McVeigh on June 11, 2001, was witnessed by some 300 people (some by closed circuit television), so some might call it a "public execution," even though federal law does not permit public executions. Timothy James McVeigh ( April 23, 1968 &ndash June 11, 2001) was a United States Army veteran and security guard who bombed Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. See 18 U. S. C. A. § 3596 and the federal administrative regulation implementing it, 28 CFR § 26. 4. A “public execution” means that all the public has access.

Clemency and commutations

The largest number of clemencies was granted January 2003 in Illinois, when outgoing Governor George Ryan, who had already imposed a moratorium on executions, pardoned four death-row inmates and commuted the sentences of the remaining 168 to life imprisonment. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government George Homer Ryan (born February 24 1934 in Maquoketa Iowa) was the Republican Governor of the U

Previous post-Furman massive clemencies took place in 1986 in New Mexico, when Governor Toney Anaya commuted all death sentences because of his personal opposition to the death penalty. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Toney Anaya (b April 29, 1941) is a US Democratic politician who was born in Moriarty New Mexico. In 1991 outgoing Ohio Governor Dick Celeste commuted the sentences of eight prisoners. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Richard Frank "Dick" Celeste (born November 11, 1937, in Cleveland Ohio) is an American politician from Ohio, and a member And during his two terms (1979-1987) as Florida Governor, Bob Graham, although a strong death penalty supporter who had overseen the first post-Furman involuntary execution as well as 15 others, agreed to commute the sentences of six people on grounds of "possible innocence" or "disproportionality. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham (born November 9, 1936) is an American politician "

Controversy over use of death penalty

Main article: Capital punishment debate

Various groups oppose or support capital punishment. The debate about Capital punishment, colloquially known as the death penalty, is highly controversial Amnesty International and some religions oppose capital punishment on moral grounds, while the Innocence Project works to free wrongly convicted prisoners, including death row inmates, based on newly available DNA tests. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to For other uses see The Innocence Project The Innocence Project refers to a number of non-profit legal clinics in the United States and Canada Other groups, such as the Southern Baptists, law enforcement, and some victims' rights groups support capital punishment. The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination

Opinion polls consistently show that a majority of the American public supports the death penalty. A May 2005 Gallup poll had 74% of respondees in "favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder". In the same Gallup poll, when life imprisonment without parole was given as an option as a punishment for murder, 56% supported the death penalty and 39% supported life imprisonment, with 5% offering no opinion. ^[47] Elections have sometimes turned on the issue; in 1986, three justices were removed from the Supreme Court of California by the electorate (including Chief Justice Rose Bird) specifically because of their opposition to the death penalty. The Supreme Court of California is the State supreme court in California. Rose Elizabeth Bird ( November 2, 1936 &ndash December 4, 1999) served for 10 years as the 25th Chief Justice (and first female Justice & only

Religious groups are widely split on the issue of capital punishment,^[48] generally with more conservative groups more likely to support it and more liberal groups more likely to oppose it.

The debate over the death penalty centers around four issues: whether it is morally correct to kill; whether the death penalty serves as a deterrent; whether the penalty is being applied fairly across racial, social, and economic classes; and whether the irrevocability of the penalty is justified considering possible new evidence or future revelations of improper conduct by the state. It is also claimed that the financial costs of a complete death penalty case exceed the total costs of a lifetime of incarceration. ^[49] Between 1976 and 2003, less than 2% of death row prisoners were exonerated, while others had their sentences reduced for other reasons. This amounted to 112 prisoners released.

Suicide on death row

The suicide rate of death row inmates was found by Lester and Tartaro to be 113 per 100,000 for the period 1976–1999. This is about ten times the rate of suicide in the United States as a whole and about six times the rate of suicide in the general U. S. prison population. ^[50]

Moratoria

Since the death penalty was reinstated in Illinois in 1977, 12 men have been executed. During that same period, 13 men were freed from death row. ^[51] This finding prompted the outgoing governor of Illinois, Republican George H. Ryan, who had previously ordered a moratorium on executions by the state, to commute all death penalties in his state in January 2003. George Homer Ryan (born February 24 1934 in Maquoketa Iowa) was the Republican Governor of the U ^[52] When Democrat Rod Blagojevich was elected governor in 2002, one of his first acts was an attempt to revoke some of Ryan's commutations. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Rod R Blagojevich (bləˈgɔɪəvɪtʃ, born December 10, 1956) is an American Politician from the state of Illinois. ^[53]

In addition to Ryan's moratorium, Governor Parris N. Glendening (D) halted executions in the state of Maryland by executive order on May 9, 2002, but the subsequent governor, Robert Ehrlich (R), resumed executions in 2004. Parris Nelson Glendening (born June 11, 1942) a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 59th Governor of Maryland in the executive order in the United States is a Directive issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. For the Entrepreneur and Businessman, see Robert Ehrlich. Robert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich Jr However, on December 19, 2006, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that state executions would be suspended until the manual that spells out the protocol for lethal injections is reviewed by a legislative panel. The Maryland Court of Appeals is the supreme court of the US state of Maryland. The state's Department of Corrections had adopted the manual without having a public hearing or submitting it before a committee. Legislative review of the protocol is required before approval under state law.

In December 2005, the New Jersey State Senate passed a one-year moratorium on executions by the state. ^[54] The measure was passed by the legislature on January 10, 2006. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Governor Richard J. Codey signed the measure into law on January 12. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Richard James "Dick" Codey (born November 27, 1946) is an American Democratic Party Politician in the U Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople ^[55] New Jersey is the first state to pass such a moratorium legislatively, rather than by executive order. Although New Jersey reinstated the death penalty in 1982, the state has not executed anyone since 1963. On December 17, 2007, with the signing of an abolition bill by Governor Jon Corzine, New Jersey became the 14th state without a death penalty at a time when its use is declining in most of the 36 states -- plus the federal government and U. Jon Stevens Corzine (born January 1 1947 is the Governor of New Jersey and a former United States Senator S. military -- that retain it, but the first state to abolish it by legislative action rather than by judicial decision. As a result, all eight inmates on death row had their sentences commuted to life in prison. This was upsetting to some, as the list included Jesse Timmendequas, whose rape and murder of his 7-year-old neighbor, Megan Kanka, led to the creation of Megan's Law, and many awaited his execution^[56]. Jesse K Timmendequas (born April 15, 1961) is a convicted Murderer who on July 29, 1994 Raped and murdered his neighbor Megan's Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered Sex offenders

In New York, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that the state's death penalty statute was unconstitutional in June of 2004, in the case of People v. LaValle. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the US state of New York. Constitutionality is the status of a law, a procedure or an act's accordance with the laws or guidelines set forth in the applicable Constitution. Facts Steven LaValle who murdered high-school track coach Cynthia Quinn during her morning jog (the court states she was stabbed seventy-three times with a Screwdriver

In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush suspended all executions on December 15, 2006 after a botched execution required a second injection of the lethal chemicals. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the List of Governors Military governor Spanish Florida was acquired from Spain in the Adams-Onís Treaty, which took effect July 10 John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American Politician and was the 43rd Governor of Florida Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The moratorium was lifted on July 18, 2007 by Governor Charlie Crist,^[57] and on November 1, 2007, the Florida Supreme Court unanimously upheld the state's lethal injection procedures. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist Jr (born July 24 1956 is an American politician of the Republican Party and the current Governor of Florida. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the State supreme court of Florida. ^[58]

In North Carolina, a de facto moratorium is in place following a decision by the state's medical board that physicians cannot participate in executions, which is a requirement under state and federal law. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States

In California, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in the state of California on December 15, 2006, ruling that the implementation used in California was unconstitutional but that it could be fixed. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. In the United States the title of federal judge usually refers to a Judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[59]

In Missouri, U.S. District Judge Fernando J. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee In the United States the title of federal judge usually refers to a Judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Gaitan, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City suspended the state's death penalty on June 26, 2006, after lengthy hearings on the matter. The United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri is the federal judicial district encompassing 66 counties in the western Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Judge Gaitan reasoned that the state's lethal injection protocol did not satisfy the Eighth Amendment because (1) the written procedures for implementing lethal injections were too vague, and (2) the state had no qualified anesthesiologist to perform lethal injections. Jay Nixon, the Missouri Attorney General, promptly appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following On June 4, 2007, a panel of the Eighth Circuit reversed the District Court's decision. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The death row inmate in question, Michael Taylor, will seek an en banc hearing before the entire Eighth Circuit and, failing that, will seek a writ of certiorari in the Supreme Court of the United States. En banc, in banc, in banco or in bank is a French term used to refer to the hearing of a legal case where all Certiorari (ˌsɚʃioʊ('rɛri 'rɑri is a legal term in Roman, English, Philippine and American law referring to a type of Writ ^[60] The Eighth Circuit case is number 06-3651, Taylor v. Crawford.

In Nebraska, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled, on February 8, 2008, that the use of the electric chair is unconstitutional — specifically, that its use conflicts with the Nebraska state constitution. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the US state of Nebraska. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Execution by electrocution (usually referred to after its method of implementation as the Electric Chair) is an execution method originating in the United States in which the As electrocution is the sole legally-authorized method of execution in Nebraska, the state has what technically amounts to no legally-authorized death penalty at this time. ^[61]

Since the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the case Baze v. Rees many states have slowed or halted executions as lawyers for death-row prisoners have argued that states should not carry out death sentences using a method that may be ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Baze v Rees, 553 US ___ ( 2008) is a United States Supreme Court case While executions have come to an apparent stop until Baze is examined by the court, this was not the intent, according to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who stated on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 that stopping all executions by that method wasn't the high court's intention when it agreed to hear Baze v. (born March 11, 1936) is an American Jurist and the second most senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Rees. Just because the justices agreed to take on the case, Scalia said, doesn't necessarily mean that a moratorium should ensue. ^[62]

On April 16, 2008, the U. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common S. Supreme Court decided in Baze that the current method of execution by lethal injection, by use of a three-drug 'cocktail', is constitutionally permissible even though an alternative method such as a massive overdose of some other drug could be used and might be less painful or less uncomfortable for the condemned. As a result of the court's decision, some states that had instituted stays or moratoria have announced a resumption of the practice.

See also

• List of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on capital punishment
• List of exonerated death row inmates
• More detailed information on capital punishment by the federal government in Capital punishment by the United States federal government. This list contains names of people who were found guilty of Capital crimes and placed on Death row who were later found to be wrongly convicted. This is a list of individuals executed by the United States. The United States federal government (in comparison to the separate states applies the death penalty
• More detailed information on capital punishment in the states:

External links

Anti-death penalty

• National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
• Death Penalty Information Center
• New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty
• Texas Moratorium Network
• The Innocence Project
• Truth in Justice
• Amnesty International USA campaign to abolish the death penalty
• Campaign to end the Death Penalty
• Against the Death Penalty — Religious Organization
• Death Penalty Focus
• Fight the death penalty
• Anti-Death Penalty Information: includes a monthly watchlist of upcoming executions and death penalty statistics for the United States.
• New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty: includes information on the current moratorium, the bill to replace the death penalty with "life without the possibility of parole" and general information on the death penalty.
• Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty
• LifeLines
• Execution by America - A satirical flash animation regarding the execution in the United States.
• D.R.I.V.E Movement- Anti Death penalty group inside Texas Death Row against the death penalty and for humane prisoner treatment.
• Montana Abolition Coalition
• Stephen Bright and the Southern Center for Human Rights
• Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty

Pro-death penalty

• Pro Death Penalty.com
• Pro Death Penalty Resource Page - Wesley Lowe
• Clark County, IN Prosecutor's Page on capital punishment.
• In Favor of Capital Punishment - Quotes supporting Capital Punishment by Saqib Ali
• No Racial Bias Found - CNN Law Center archives
• The Ultimate Punishment - A professor defends the death penalty
• Is man a moral agent? - Ethics of capital punishment
• A defense of the death penalty
• Death Penalty Information - News, arguments and links
• Criminal Justice Legal Foundation Articles on the death penalty, and deterrence

More information

• About.com's Pros & Cons of the Death Penalty and Capital Punishment (Liberal Viewpoint)
• Last Meals on Death Row
• The documentary Procedure 769, witness to an execution DocsOnline focuses on the people who witness an execution, specifically that of Robert Alton Harris who murdered two boys in 1978. Stephen Bright (born 1947 is president and senior counsel for the Southern Center for Human Rights and teaches at Harvard University and Yale University Law Schools

References

Further reading

• Banner, Stuart (2002). The Death Penalty: An American History. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-00751-4.
• Delfino, Michelangelo and Day, Mary E. (2008). Death Penalty USA: 2005 - 2006. MoBeta Publishing, Tampa, Florida. ISBN 978-0972514125.
• Dow, David R. , Dow, Mark (eds. ) (2002). Machinery of Death. The Reality of America's Death Penalty Regime. Routledge, New York. ISBN 0-415-93266-1 (cloth), ISBN 0-415-93267-X (paperback)
  (this book provides critical perspectives on the death penalty; it contains a foreword by Christopher Hitchens)
• Megivern, James J. Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British Author, Journalist, Literary critic and American , The Death Penalty: An Historical and Theological Survey. Paulist Press, New York. ISBN 0-8091-0487-3
• Prejean, Helen (1993). Sister Helen Prejean CSJ (b April 21, 1939, Baton Rouge Louisiana) is a Roman Catholic Nun Dead Man Walking. Dead Man Walking is a work of non-fiction by Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille. Random House. ISBN 0-679-75131-9 (paperback)
  (Describes the case of death convict Patrick Sonnier, while also giving a general overview of issues connected to the Death Penalty. Elmo Patrick Sonnier ( February 21, 1950 &ndash April 5, 1984) was a convicted murderer and rapist who was executed by electrocution )

External links

• Death Penalty Walking, TIME