Schedule and Course Overview

  • Review Day Arrangement

    • Planned to fit in a review day next Friday.

  • Upcoming Lectures

    • Continuing with final presentations into next week.
    • The death penalty topic will be wrapped up next week.
    • Carrying over this week’s lecture into next week.

Wrongful Convictions Lecture

  • Content Focus

    • Based on students' presentations which may not have wrapped up.
    • One article will be read for the wrongful convictions lecture for next week.

  • Article Type

    • Empirical article and review article will be read for preparation.

Death Penalty and Corrections

  • Reading Assignments

    • Chapter 16 (specific sections) and Chapter 17 are assigned.
    • Specific topics to focus on:
    • Sentencing decisions
    • Goals of imprisonment
    • Prisoner rights
    • Basic statistics

  • Notable Typo

    • Correction of previously stated missed chapter assignments is necessary.

Presentation Schedule

  • Presentation Days

    • Presentations scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
    • Goal to complete by Wednesday to allow for a review day.

  • Friday Plans

    • Expectation of enough time for a PowerPoint jeopardy session.

  • Punctuality Reminder

    • Email to be sent out reminding students to arrive on time.

Final Exam Details

  • Scheduled on Wednesday, the 17th at 08:30.
  • Discussion on Format
    • Question raised regarding making the exam online.
    • Instructor's decision against online exams due to past cheating incidents.
    • Emphasis on accountability and returning to normalcy post-COVID era.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Death Penalty

  • Financial Implications

    • Higher costs associated with death penalty compared to life imprisonment due to:
    • Lengthy trials and multiple appeals.
    • Specialized facilities needed for death penalty cases.

  • Example Costs from Different States:

    • California: $137 million per year for death penalty vs. $11.5 million for life sentences.
    • Maryland: $1.9 million more annually for capital cases over non-capital ones.
    • North Carolina could save $10.5 million per year by abolishing the death penalty.

Case Studies on Wrongful Convictions

  • Marcellus Williams' Case
    • Highlights flaws in the justice system and risk of irreversible errors.
    • Connection to Felicia Gale's murder questioned.
    • Conviction supported by two unreliable eyewitnesses, one of whom was financially incentivized to testify against him.

Ethical Concerns of the Death Penalty

  • Financial Burden

    • Maintenance of the death penalty drains state resources that could be used for crime prevention or rehabilitation programs.
    • Shifting public opinion: More Americans favor life imprisonment without parole over capital punishment.

  • Capital Punishment as a Polarizing Issue

    • Raises pertinent questions regarding ethics, finances, and fairness in the justice system.

Constitutional Challenges

  • Key Amendments

    • Eighth Amendment: Protects against cruel and unusual punishments.
    • Fourteenth Amendment: Ensures due process.

  • Landmark Supreme Court Cases:

    • Furman vs. Georgia (1972): Ruled death penalty unconstitutional in its application, halting executions nationwide.
    • Gregg vs. Georgia (1976): Reinstated the death penalty with reforms for fair application.

Factors in Sentencing Decisions

  • Aggravating vs. Mitigating Factors

    • Aggravating Factors: Severity of the crime (e.g., prior violent crimes, multiple victims, extreme cruelty).
    • Mitigating Factors: Encompass reasons for leniency (e.g., mental illness, duress, age).

  • Jury Considerations

    • Jurors must weigh aggravating and mitigating factors and consider all relevant evidence during aggravation phase.

Case Comparisons

  • Marcellus Williams vs. Ted Bundy
    • Williams: Convicted based on unreliable eyewitnesses, no robust forensic evidence.
    • Bundy: Found guilty through significant physical evidence, eyewitness accounts, and DNA linking him to a series of murders.

Supreme Court Rulings on Death Penalty

  • Atkins vs. Virginia (2002): Execution of intellectually disabled individuals deemed unconstitutional.

  • Roper vs. Simmons (2005): Abolished the death penalty for juveniles due to developmental differences.

  • Kennedy vs. Louisiana: Clarified the death penalty is not applicable to non-homicidal crimes (e.g., rape).

Death Penalty Application Criteria

  • Three factors:

    • Murder involving police officers.
    • Multiple murders.
    • Murder combined with another felony (e.g., burglary).

  • Not applicable for severe sexual assault cases although many argue for its inclusion.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

  • Delays on death row often last from 20 to 30 years, posing ethical concerns.

  • Example of ethical concerns raised by executing elderly inmates with physical and mental impairments.

  • Shifting public sentiment leading to increased preference for life imprisonment over capital punishment, highlighting concerns regarding wrongful convictions.

  • Notable states in execution numbers include Texas and Florida, examining the evolving challenges surrounding the legality and morality of the death penalty.