The Death Penalty (Capital Juries)

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture topics related to the death penalty and capital juries.

Abolitionist

Countries that have abolished the death penalty completely.

Retentionist

Countries that retain the death penalty for serious crimes.

Bifurcation

The process in capital trials where there are two distinct phases: guilt and penalty.

Death Qualification

A process during jury selection ensuring jurors can apply the death penalty.

Mitigating Factors

Information that lessens the severity of a defendant's sentence.

Aggravating Factors

Circumstances that increase the severity or culpability of a criminal act.

Wainwright v. Witt (1985)

Supreme Court ruling on the exclusion of jurors unwilling to impose the death penalty.

The Black Codes

Laws that enforced racial discrimination, impacting the application of the death penalty.

McCleskey v. Kemp (1987)

Supreme Court case addressing racial disparities in death penalty sentencing.

Deterrent Effect

The theory that the death penalty prevents crime by discouraging potential offenders.

Brutalization Effect

The theory that executions may increase crime by desensitizing society to violence.

'Wainwright Excludables'

Jurors who are excluded from capital trials if they cannot apply the death penalty.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

An organization that advocates for civil rights and justice, often referencing death penalty data.

Sentencing Guidelines

Legal standards that dictate how sentences are determined in criminal trials.

Jurors' Comprehension Issues

The difficulty jurors face in understanding capital trial instructions.

Race Disparities

Differences in the application of the death penalty based on the race of defendants and victims.

Consequences of Misunderstanding Instructions

Potential biases jurors may rely on when they fail to comprehend the instructions given.

Execution Statistics

Data reflecting the number of executions carried out over a specific time frame.

Juror Disposition

The tendency of selected jurors to lean towards conviction or leniency depending on death qualification.