Death Penalty-Lots of Information

Now that you've looked at an individual case study and explored the law, it's time to examine the current status of the death penalty and how it operates. Please follow the steps below and blog your responses to the questions. Your responses should correspond to the individual bullet points. Make sure you are specific and detailed in your responses.  This is a required post.

• Read about the STAGES in a death penalty case. Be sure you understand all of the different steps involved.  You need to read about all of the subtopics prior to clicking the arrow to move to the next stage (i.e. read about all of the steps in the pre-trial phase before moving on to the guilt phase) If the full text is not showing up in the interactive interface, click on the "Print" button to read the text without the graphics.
• RESPOND-What aspects of the stages in a capital case are designed to protect the rights of the accused? Do you believe that this system is sufficient to guarantee that only the guilty are convicted?
• Read about the different METHODS of execution.
• RESPOND-Which of these (if any) are the most humane? Should any be considered “cruel and unusual” according to the 8th Amendment? If so which? Why?
• Look at this table comparing states. Then note;Which states have the most inmates on Death Row? Which states have no death penalty? Which state has the most inmates on death row? Can you hypothesize any reasons for the differences?  Now look at the murder rates on this MAP. Going back to the table, can you make any conclusions by using both sets of data?
• Explore the demographic data here.   Questions to consider as you explore include:  Are there more blacks or whites on death row? Which state has the most women on death row? Are more men or women on death row? Why aren’t there any statistics for juveniles on death row? Are there differences in number of executions by ethnicity?
• Look at the information on this MAP What is the most commonly used method of execution in those states that have the death penalty? 
• RESPOND-What sorts of conclusions can you draw from this data? What does the state by state data tell us about how the death penalty is used? What regional or other trends do you see? What might this data tell us about issues of equality, arbitrariness,and justice?
• Click on this document to read the former Illinois Capital Murder statute. RESPOND-How many aggravating factors are listed that might have led to the death penalty?  What do you think of them? ? Should the crimes listed have death as a potential punishment? Why or why not? Go to the HERE to see more about the current status of the death penalty in Illinois. Does the data tell you anything about why the Illinois death penalty is no longer in effect? If not, make an inference.
• Take a look at the updated CHARTS put out by the death penalty information center.  This is current as of 12/15/2014.  Make some conclusions based on this information.
• RESPOND-How does the information here influence your previous responses? What does this data say about the economics of the death penalty? What does the data say about the influence of race on the death penalty? What does the data say about public opinion for the death penalty? What does the data say about innocence?  About deterrence?  Looking at the information overall, what point of view would you say that the Death Penalty Information center has? Is it convincing? Why or why not? What additional information would you like?
• BONUS-For fans of the TV Show Dexter. Read the blogs posted here and here. RESPOND: If Dexter was caught, should he receive the death penalty? Why or why not? 

Death Penalty Arguments and the Law

Yesterday in class we discussed the four major arguments for and against the death penalty and finished filling out the charts from last week.
Today and tomorrow in class, we'll be looking at the law as it applies to the death penalty by reading THIS ARTICLE and responding to these QUESTIONS.

Death Penalty Arguments

Today we finished our discussion of the Execution of Clifford Boggess and began to look at the larger arguments both for and against the death penalty. Each student was assigned a side and then asked to read their respective positions in this READING PACKET. Students were also asked to take notes in this CHART as they read.
Students assigned to be in favor of the death penalty should read the arguments and testimonies for Deterrence and Retribution.  They should also read the rebuttals and testimonies to the counter arguments of Innocence and Arbitrariness/Discrimination.
Students assigned to be against the death penalty should read the counter arguments and testimonies for Innocence and Arbitrariness/Discrimination.  They should also read the rebuttals and testimonies to Deterrence and Retribution.

The Execution

We started our look at the Death Penalty by watching the Frontline Documentary, "The Execution" which follows the execution of Clifford Boggess, convicted of a double murder in Texas in 1986 and executed in 1998.  As we watched, we tried to keep track of aggravating and mitigating factors in the case. If you want information about the story and the film you can go to this WEBSITE.

Abortion Debates

Continuing in class.