How to Be at Peace With Receiving a Capital Punishment Verdict

If you have received a capital punishment sentence, the immediate emotional jolt can be crushing. But you don't have to give up. Follow these steps to plan your next move.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Grief counselor or chaplain

Explore All Options

1. Know your rights. Study the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment (see Resources below) and read the expanded annotations for the Eighth Amendment (see Resources below).
2. Consult with your attorney regarding your right of appeal and ask how you can help with the defense.
3. Consult the ACLU, an organization which can provide assistance with strategic litigation as well as legal representation for death row inmates (see Resources below).
4. If you're innocent and face execution, ask family members and friends to continue the efforts to clear your name after your death. It won't help you, but it might help others if the public realizes that when the state mistakenly executes someone, it cannot erase the error.

Deal with Your Emotions

5. Recognize that receiving adequate counsel is a necessity in coming to peace with any verdict.
6. Request the services of a chaplain or grief counselor to discuss your anger, fear and remorse over losing your life.
7. Discuss an appropriate ways to express your feelings with your counselor to find peace.
8. Understand your best defense in overturning a capital punishment verdict is clear thinking. It's easy to forget details that might be critical to your defense or appeals when you're upset.
9. Recognize the value of giving and receiving forgiveness to get inner peace. Holding a grudge only magnifies the distress of facing the death penalty.
10. Maintain contact with family and close friends.

Tips & Warnings

• In planning the appeal of a capital punishment verdict, evaluate the history of the jurisdiction in relation to race and types of crimes committed. You may find beneficial assistance from the ACLU (see Resources below).
• Those sentenced to death are entitled to go through the appeals process and to legal representation.