Capital Punishment and the Types of Crimes that Warrant It

Capital punishment
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Part A
Capital punishment, according to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, is the legal killing of criminals who commit various crimes. Also referred to as the death penalty, the form of punishment began in the United States during the colonial period in the 1600s. The first-ever recorded execution occurred in 1608 when Captain George Kendal, a leader in the Virginia colony, was found guilty of mutiny.
In the American colonies, it occurred as a result of many crimes such as; stealing, idol worship, witchcraft, blasphemy, and rape. Also, kidnapping, perjury, murder, assault, sodomy, and rebellion. The methods of execution commonly utilized included hanging, beheading, shooting, electrocution, and the use of poisonous gas. Today, however, lethal injection is the only method of use.
By the 1700s, the different colonies began looking at the death penalty again. The action led to the elimination of cruel means of killing and only retained death by hanging. Also, they rewrote the death penalty laws to include only specific crimes such as arson, piracy, treason, murder, and stealing of horses or slaves. By the 1800s, many Americans began holding opposing views to capital punishment, and by the end of World War II, the opposition grew stronger. Consequently, this led to its abolishment in states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Until the middle of the twentieth century, the practice of punishing criminals through legal death continued without concern as the constitution termed it legitimate. However, in 1958, through the Troop v. Dulles case, the Supreme Court opened this practice up for interpretation. In its ruling, the court observed that the practice contravened the 8th Amendment that sought to protect criminals from cruel and unusual punishment. In response to this, over thirty-five states in 1972-1976, rewrote their laws on capital punishment. The regulations outlined the crimes that should be punished by death. Also, they came up with a way of weighing who deserved capital punishment by considering the mitigating and infuriating conditions for the crime.
In 1976, the US Supreme Court upheld these changes, and in 1977, the legal killing continued. Decisions by the Supreme Court continued to refine capital punishment over the years. Among the significant rulings included barring the execution of insane people and the introduction of DNA evidence. Its introduction in criminal cases led to the first criminal conviction in 1994 and also the first exoneration in 1993.
Currently, 29 states, the Federal administration, and the military practice capital punishment. The crimes that lead to such a sentence are betraying one’s country, espionage, killing, terrorism, and massive trafficking of drugs. Also, sexual abuses that result in death, causing death when committing other crimes such as robbery and murder for hire. Over 1,499 people have faced execution since 1976, while the Death Penalty Information Center estimates that 2 673 people are in death row all over the U.S today.
Part B
1 Case: the U.S v. Dylann Storm Roof
On 2017 January 11, Judge Georges ruled Dylann Roof die by the use of lethal in...