Death Penalty In The United States

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Capital Punishment Capital Punishment has been a form of punishment dating as far back as biblical times. Today there are over fifty countries around the world that utilize the death penalty. The top five countries to utilize the death penalty are Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, China, and The United States. In the United States, there are 32 states that participate in Capital Punishment. There are five forms of punishment used today. 14 of the 32 participating states, allow the individual to choose how they want to die. Each states legislature varies. Individuals that break the law can be put to death by firing squad, lethal injection, (The primary method in the United States), the electric chair, lethal gas, and the hangman’s noose. For centuries, …show more content…

As of January 2015, 150 people have been acquitted of their crimes, and released from death row. So for every 10 people who have been executed, one person has been released. In the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, was sentenced to death row for allegedly murdering his three daughters by arson. He was executed after multiple fire science experts viewed the case, and stated there was no evidence the fire was intentional. Willingham’s conviction was supported by faulty evidence. The term “innocent until proven guilty” was not applied here. An innocent man lost his life, even after experts concluded there was no evidence of arson and objected to his execution. Death is …show more content…

The needle is connected through a hole in the cement wall. The first needle consists of a harmless saline solution. When the warden signals, a curtain will be raised so that the witnesses may watch. The inmate will then be injected with the second solution of sodium thiopental (anesthetic that puts the inmate to sleep). Next pavulon or pancuronium bromid (paralyzes the muscle system and stops breathing), and then a flow of potassium chloride to stop the heart. Death is resulted from an overdose of anesthetic and respiratory and cardiac arrest while the individual is unconscious. Some states now participate in a one-step injection rather than a three step. Most injections are performed by inexperienced individuals due to the discouragement of medical professionals to participate because of their moral code. If the member of the execution team injects the solution into a muscle rather than a vein, this can result in severe

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