Description
Taylor & Francis Ltd Questioning Capital Punishment Law Policy And Practice 2014 Edition by James R. Acker
The death penalty has inspired controversy for centuries. Raising questions regarding capital punishment rather than answering them, Questioning Capital Punishment offers the footing needed to allow for more informed consideration and analysis of these controversies. Acker edits judicial decisions that have addressed constitutional challenges to capital punishment and its administration in the United States and uses complementary materials to offer historical, empirical, and normative perspectives about death penalty policies and practices. This book is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate classes in criminal justice. PART I: The Death Penalty's Justifications: Pro and Con 1. Retribution (Just Deserts) 2. Deterrence 3. Incapacitation, Cost, and Consideration for Victims 4. Capital Punishment for Murder: Sentencing Criteria and Procedures 5. Proportionality: Offenses and Offenders 6. The New Death-Penalty Laws in Application: Race Discrimination and Arbitrariness 7. Defense Attorneys and Capital Jurors PART III: Post-Conviction 8. Capital Errors: Procedural Issues and Actual Innocence 9. The Final Stages: Death Row, Clemency, Execution