Essays on Life Imprisonment

One of the peculiar aspects of criminal law is the ability to essentially increase, or decrease, depending on the particular factors of a case, the punishment that an offender would normally expect to have imposed after a conviction (Justia, 2016). These circumstances, which are formally known in criminal law as aggravating and mitigation circumstances, are often used to take into account important aspects of the case that may not have been properly addressed during the trial or plea negotiations. Aggravating and mitigating circumstances are normally applied under the discretion of the sentencing judge; however, for some crimes they might ...

Many people agree that the most severe crimes deserve the most severe punishment. A great deal of people views the death penalty as a just and the most appropriate measure in this case. But do you know how many executions were carried out since 1978? Only thirteen. And these thirteen deaths cost about $4 billion taken from the pocket of California taxpayers (Alarcon and Mitchell 541). Impressive numbers, aren’t they? These figures speak for themselves. The death penalty system turned out to be ineffective and has to be replaced with more productive measures. The Proposition 34 is a ...

INTRODUCTION

The American criminal justice system is a very complex entity that most people hope to have little interaction with. Most people will tell you that it can also be incredibly confusing. People become most invested in court proceedings when they are high profile cases that garner a great deal of media attention; some that many are familiar with include Amy Fisher, Casey Anthony and, certainly, the O.J. Simpson trial. Another case that became the center of media attention is the trial of Jodi Arias. Jodi Arias is a 32-year-old woman who is currently serving a life sentence, without the ...

Capital punishment or the death penalty is one of the most contentious types of punishments in the United States of America. It is the type of punishment that puts to death an individual who is found guilty of a crime as a result of a legal trial. The implementation of the death penalty dates back to the 1600s but has undergone many reforms thereafter. The discharge of the death penalty is very uncommon because it is usually applied for crimes of aggravated murder. Because the public views the death penalty as too harsh, immoral, and inhumane, it has been ...

Juvenile Murderers: A Second Chance or Death

Introduction The question over treatment of juvenile murderers creates a major debate in the social and political circles. There are proponents of public supporting punishment in the form of a life in prison without parole called LWOP, many believe that capital punishment is needed, and others support the implementation of life in prison with work and restitution called LWOP + W/R (Moon, Wright, Cullen, & Pealer, 2000, p. 663). One common aspect is the belief of the public is the need for bringing people to justice by either jail time or capital punishment. Another important aspect of the juvenile punishment system ...

Throughout the history of criminal law and policymaking in the United States as well as in other countries, the death penalty has always been the issue of paramount importance kept on the front burner by media, policymakers and public. The controversy in terms of capital punishment relates not only to religion and morality, but is also associated with considerable social and economic costs. In other words, “the contemporary debate over capital punishment involves a number of important arguments based on either moral principles or social welfare considerations” (Dezhbakhsh & Shepherd, 2003, p. 1). Numerous researchers and influential leaders of public ...

The death penalty remains a most controversial topic not only in the ‘US but the rest of the world for many years now. It was in 1622 that the first execution took place in the United States in Virginia for a criminal in the American colonies as stated by Marcus (838). Many oppose while several others support the death penalty. What adds to the debatable issue are the process, mistakes, and costs involved. The last execution in the US took place in 2015. The paper considers all those issues related to the death penalty and if it is the ...

The man cannot be separated from many things. He cannot live without food, air and water. However, it’s not the complete list of items that are necessary for human existence. Humanity is also obsessed with the violence. Throughout the whole history, people invented a lot of different methods of punishment, murder and torture. So, the human history is full of cruelty and violence. Consequently, it’s possible to talk an infinitely long time about how some representatives of humanity have punished, tortured, and killed others more unfortunate representatives of mankind. However, we’d remember only the most noteworthy ...

Clayton Lockett was a 38-year-old murderer of a 19-year-old girl whom he shot twice and then buried while she was still alive (Connor, 2015). Following his conviction, he was sentenced to death in Oklahoma by lethal injection. Fifteen years later in April 2014, his execution was botched when inadequate drugs, an inability to find an adequate vein for instillation, and inappropriate administration into muscle tissue resulted in an agonizing and prolonged death. The public’s response to the news releases ignited again the debate over the use of the death penalty for punishment of the worst offenders in society. ...

The capital punishment is a form of punishment that is applied in the criminal justice system. It is worth noting that death penalty is one of the debatable issues in the world. Canada is one of the countries that debate on the death penalty as a form of punishment. For many centuries, countries have utilized capital punishment as a strategy for dealing with serious criminals. The form of punishment in Canada dates back to the era of the British colony. This was a form of punishment that was administered to those conceited of murder, assault, rape, buggery of animals, ...

The presence of places of deprivation of liberty is an indispensable attribute of any state, as any penitentiary system provides an isolation of the offender as one of the measures to curb their illegal activity. Therefore, the presence of prisons and educational institutions, special treatment is not something unexpected even in developed countries with a low crime rate. But do children have to suffer from this system and if so, how much ‘adult’ must they be? Each country has its own prison system, wherein the existence of certain rules and conditions of detention. Often these conditions do not meet ...

Introduction

The topic of death penalty or capital punishment can be considered to be complex. Its complexity has brought about numerous debates over the years. Therefore, several pros and cons have been stipulated that brings about the justification or non-acceptance of the issue in many countries. In the past, nearly all the countries in the world practiced capital punishment for numerous crimes. However, as the passing of time, many have changed this decision and instead have opted for life imprisonment. Nonetheless, countries such as the US and most Asian countries continue to practice it. In looking at this topic, the ...

Introduction

Capital punishment has been used by many countries since time immemorial to punish people and bring justice in society. Death penalty as a form of punishment continues to elicit different opinions among many groups of people with the punishment receiving an almost equal measure of support and condemnation. The death penalty has been introduced in several states in the United States and whether this has succeeded in reducing crime is a debatable issue. Capital punishment has not been effective in reducing crime. The death penalty does not deter others from committing murder. The rates of homicides are consistently higher in states ...

Capital punishment is also known as the death penalty. This process involves the infliction of death to individuals as a punishment for certain offences by the judicial processes. This form of punishment has been practiced in the past by almost all the societies. However, a majority of the countries in the world today have abolished it, with only a few countries still following the death penalty sentencing. The deliberations over the propriety of the death penalty can be almost as old as the death penalty itself. It is interesting to note that the philosophical and moral arguments put forward by various individuals ...

Introduction

Located in the Eastern part of Haiti, Jamaica is a country that is well known for its popularity in reggae music. Beings an island in the Caribbean, Jamaica is a small country with a population of nearly three million people. Nearly a third of the population resides in the capital city of Jamaica which is referred to as Kingston. Despite having the rate of crime high as a result of drug abuse by most of the young population, the country has been politically stable for a long time. However, drug abuse has been a major problem affecting the majority of the population. This is proved by ...

1. The admissibility of scientific evidence and expert testimony in court has been the subject of recent debate in both UK and USA. Briefly discuss the background and compare and contrast how courts in both Britain and America make sure admitted evidence is relevant and reliable.

Introduction

The courtroom, never an isolated corner of the societal landscape, has felt science’s impact. Over the years, courts have tried various methods to respond to the increasing influx of science. However, the problem of defining standards for admitting scientific expert testimony is one with a venerable history and in all likelihood, an enduring ...

Ethical Arguments Against Capital Punishment

Morality can be defined as “The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct.” (thefreedictionary).

The morality of capital punishment is an heavily contested issue and one that often polarises people’s views. However, in 2011 and in a leading civilised nation such as the U.S. it is arguable that there can be no circumstances in which sentencing a person to death is acceptable. America is known around the world as being a well-respected, leading democracy. The act of punishing people by death is an ancient one; it is also one that no longer has place in society.

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