Should the death penalty be extended to include cases other then 1st degree murder?

Question

For the guy that pinned the old man with his car door, beat him senseless, when he was unable to defend himself, then hijacked his car... Hang him!!!
For the butt head that put his daughter into the microwave and the freezer and more... Hang him!!!

Hang 'em first, then hold a 10 minute kangaroo court trial post-humously. Justice would be served.

Answer 1

And none of this lethal injection stuff either. At one time you could get the death penalty for kidnapping and killing a cop and it was a rare occasion these things happened. As soon as they lifted it it's an everyday occurrence. Today this seems a little extreme but it was a great deterrent.

Answer 2

Once you have talked about vengeance or retribution, the dialogue about the death penalty should focus on the practical aspects of the death penalty system. Here are answers to some of the questions often asked about it. The sources are listed below. Opinions should be based on facts.

What about the risk of executing innocent people?
124 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence, many having already served over 2 decades on death row.

Doesn't DNA keep new cases like these from happening?
DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides. It is not a guarantee against the execution of innocent people.

Doesn't the death penalty prevent others from committing murder?
No reputable study shows the death penalty to be a deterrent. To be a deterrent a punishment must be sure and swift. The death penalty is neither. Homicide rates are higher in states that have it than in states that do not.

So, what are the alternatives?
Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. It is sure and swift and rarely appealed. Life without parole is less expensive than the death penalty.

But isn't the death penalty cheaper than keeping criminals in prison?
The death penalty costs much more than life in prison. Extra costs include those due to the complicated nature of both the pre trial investigation and of the trials (involving 2 separate stages, mandated by the Supreme Court) in death penalty cases and subsequent appeals. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

What about the very worst crimes?
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??

Doesn't the death penalty help families of murder victims?
Not necessarily. Murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

So, why don't we speed up the process?
Many of the 124 innocent people released from death row had already been there for over 2 decades. If the process is speeded up we are sure to execute an innocent person.

But don’t Americans prefer the death penalty as the most serious punishment?
Not any more. People are rethinking their views, given the facts and the records on innocent people sentenced to death. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole. Americans are learning about the system and we are making up our minds based on facts, not eye for an eye sound bites.

Answer 3

There are some actions that deserve the death penalty, so far only two are recognized in the U.S. Courts-murder in the first degree and treason (why does everybody forget that one?).

In the cases you describe, the guilty parties certainly deserve long, long sentences. I say that life sentences should be in order, with no conjugal visits for either of them. However the father who put his daughter in the microwave will probably be found not guilty for reasons of mental defect.

Answer 4

I'm all for extending it to the next person who asks who won American Idol tonight.

But seriously, those people don't deserve a quick easy death and the safety of a private cell on death row. Let them remember what they have done for a long time. Let them out in the general population of the prison, like Dahmer...

Answer 5

i dont think that anyone deserves the death penalty you any crime at all...two wrongs dont make it right ...killing the guy wont make the people that was murdered come back or take the pain of the families away your just hurting another one. if you really wanna punish someone just let them sit in jail for the rest of their life and let them suffer. alot of people in jail become changed people that can bring good to the world but noone will ever know because they are dead...

Answer 6

Different states have different uses for the death penalty. In the military you can be hanged for rape or even adultery. I personally think we as a country should swing people for crossing the border.