Death Penalty
Some serious criminal offenses are punishable by death, most often violent homicides where it is determined by the jury that the convicted offender lacks remorse. Capital punishment, commonly referred to as the death penalty, remains controversial and has been outlawed in some states. The following articles and resources provide a brief history of death penalty laws, notable court challenges and current statistics.
- History of Death Penalty Laws
How death penalty laws have changed over the course of history, from ancient Babylon to 19th Century Britain.
- The U.S. and the Death Penalty
Brief history of capital punishment in the U.S., from its rise in colonial New England to 19th and 20th Century opposition movements.
- Death Penalty Challenges
Summaries of a few U.S. Supreme Court cases challenging the constitutionality of capital punishment.
- Temporary Abolition of the Death Penalty
Overview of Furman v. Georgia, a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court case that (along with two other cases) temporarily halted capital punishment.
- Reinstatement of the Death Penalty
How several states worked around Furman by rewriting their statutes and an overview of Gregg v. Georgia.
- Recent Developments in Capital Punishment
Overview of Illinois' 2003 death penalty moratorium, a 2005 case that barred the execution of minors and other recent developments.
- Recent Death Penalty Statistics
Statistics pertaining to executions since the death penalty was reinstated, including demographics and execution methods.
- Federal Capital Punishment Laws
Explanation of the federal government's death penalty laws, procedures and eligible crimes.
- Capital Punishment at the Federal Level
- Citizen's Arrest
- Criminal Procedure FAQ
- Death Penalty Challenges
- History of Death Penalty Laws
- Recent Death Penalty Statistics
- Recent Developments: The Death Penalty
- Reinstatement of the Death Penalty
- Temporary Abolition of the Death Penalty
- The U.S. and the Death Penalty