Capital Punishment In American History

Capital Punishment Across American History Capital punishment is the execution of those who have been found guilty of capital crimes. The death penalty, as others say, has been a common ingredient in the United States judicial system since the Anglo-Saxon beginnings. Modern day, Americans on both spectrums of opposing opinions on capital punishment use the United States Constitution to support their positions. The Eighth and the Fourteenth Amendment recognize the existence of capital punishment and outlines conditions for trying individuals accused of capital crimes (“Capital Punishment” 1). Throughout the extensive period of time in which death row inmates have fought for restrictions in capital punishment, many historical events such as
Virginia. Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions, disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. People who may suffer from a mental disability can be impaired in light of judgement and decision making. Because of disabilities in areas of reasoning, judgement, and control of their impulses, however, they don’t act with the level of moral culpability that characterizes the most serious adult criminal content, their impairment can jeopardize the reality and fairness of capital punishment against mentally disabled (“Atkins v. Virginia” 1). In the Supreme Court case of Atkins v. Virginia in 2002 Atkins dispute was that the execution of a mentally retarded criminal is a cruel and unusual punishment which contravenes the Eighth Amendment. He made this contention when he was sentenced to death for committing robbery and murdering a man by shooting him eight times. He was sentenced to death even though he had an IQ of 59 (Galvin 206). However the U.S. Supreme Court felt the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment needed to be interpreted in the light of “evolving standards of decency that mark the process of a maturing society”. Therefore, Atkins would not be executed and it was found that the execution of people with an intellectual disability was in violation of
Simmons in 2005. Under the age of eighteen most states restrict minors from voting, serving on juries, or marrying without parental consent, but before Roper v. Simmons minors was eligible for execution. However, studies show that juveniles portray a lack of maturity and underdeveloped sense of responsibility and a greater susceptibility to negative influence. Outside pressures and liability of ordain reckless behavior mark the reality that the character of a juvenile is not as well formed as that an adult (Kurtis 15). In Roper v. Simmons, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of Christopher Simmons, who committed a horrific murder at the age of seventeen. The U.S. Supreme Court determined that the Eighth amendment is violated by the execution of those who were younger than eighteen at the time of the crime. The case sparked improvement among states across the United States. Also, minor laws in each state, were created that prohibited individuals below the age of adulthood from being subject to a number of criminal punishments (Simmons