How to Find Capital Punishment Information

Capital punishment is the execution of a convicted criminal for capital offenses such as murder, kidnapping and treason. The offenses punishable by the death penalty vary from state to state, with 38 states officially sanctioning the death penalty. The federal government also has its own list of crimes eligible for capital punishment. Follow these steps to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

1. Know which state or region you want information for. Though many states have similar laws and statutes concerning capital punishment, each state has different proceedings.

2. Know which crimes are punishable by death. Certain types of murder warrant capital punishment in all 38 states that practice it. But there are many different types of murder that might lead to capital punishment, and many different aggravating or mitigating circumstances that may influence the crime's eligibility to warrant the death sentence. In addition, some states impose the death penalty for other crimes, such as treason or espionage.

3. Know the difference between state and federal capital punishment. Capital punishment is imposed by federal law for crimes such as large scale drug trafficking and aggravated kidnapping across state lines, as well as certain types of murder. A federal capital punishment verdict is automatically appealed directly to the United States Supreme Court.

4. Talk to a criminal trial lawyer about death penalty cases in your area and what kind of circumstances might lead a jury to impose capital punishment.

5. Read arguments and statistics in favor of capital punishment at Pro-Death Penalty.org (see Resources below).

6. Read arguments, articles and statistics against capital punishment at the National Resource to Abolish the Death Penalty (see Resources below).

7. Know the rights of a person facing capital punishment. In addition to basic constitutional rights such as the right to an attorney as well as a speedy public trial, go to Megalaw.com (see Resources below) and read Supreme Court cases relevant to the rights of inmates of Death Row

8. Donate or volunteer. The American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project, for instance, offers ways to help secure the rights of inmates on death row (see Resources, below).

Tips & Warnings

• Going through the capital punishment procedure can be a harrowing ordeal for the person convicted as well as for his or her family. If you are going through a capital punishment procedure, either directly or indirectly, it may be wise to seek counseling.

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[markei]

on 7/5/2009 No resources posted. :(