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The Importance Of The Death Penalty

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Like many controversial topics in society such as legalizing marijuana, immigration, abortion, the death penalty is still heavily debated. Mainly because the country seems to be split on whether to support it or toss it. Like abortion and other controversial topics debated by society, the death penalty holds a moral issue with the people. Some feel as if the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment and has no purpose but only to appease a system of revenge, while the opposite side believes that the death penalty deters heinous crime by giving a suitable punishment for the criminal act of murder. The power to decide lies with the states which means each state decides as to whether they execute murders or not. Death penalty cases are given a trail and the outcome of that can be appealed to the supreme court.
Over the course of the years the various cases and the different decisions have changed the foundation of the death penalty. From the year 1967 to the year 2005 several supreme court decisions on the death penalty has shaped the views that are currently still in effect. These decisions have changed the crime that is punishable by death, for instance, rape is no longer punishable by death unless the victim dies. It has changed the age of the person that is eligible for the death penalty, so now only those that are 18 and older can be prosecuted for the death penalty. It has changed the death penalty to those that are mentally competent, so those that have mental

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