This article explores the intricate landscape of challenges within the death penalty appeals process in the United States criminal justice process, delving into legal frameworks, procedural and evidentiary hurdles, ethical considerations, and systemic issues. Examining the appellate process, the discussion encompasses direct appeals, habeas corpus petitions, and the significance of exhaustion of state remedies, illuminating
This article explores the multifaceted dimensions of the death penalty within the United States criminal justice process. The introduction provides a historical and contextual overview of the death penalty, emphasizing its significance in the criminal justice system. The debate surrounding the death penalty is examined through moral and ethical lenses, constitutional and legal challenges, and
The issue of racial bias in death penalty has long been a significant concern in the system of capital punishment. Many studies across the United States have found the race of the defendant (combined with the race of the victim) to be a salient predictor of juror decision making in capital cases, with Black defendants
Religion has the ability to affect death penalty trials in numerous ways. The most studied include the effects of jurors’ religiosity and religious appeals used by lawyers during trial. Religion also affects judges’ decisions. Although the study of how religion affects legal decision making is still in its infancy, religion has the potential to affect
The controversy surrounding the juvenile death penalty is not new; the courts have struggled with the issue for decades. Meanwhile, psychologists have presented research results on both the capabilities of juveniles and the public’s support for the juvenile death penalty. Although the Supreme Court has not consistently relied on psychological findings, those findings are relevant
Death qualification is a unique form of jury selection that is used only in capital cases. Potential jurors are screened beforehand on the basis of their attitudes toward death penalty, and persons holding “disqualifying” attitudes or beliefs about capital punishment are dismissed from further participation. In the late 1960s, the U.S. Supreme Court established the
The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is a government-imposed sanction by which a person is executed for committing an illegal offense. The United States is the only country in the Western world to retain this form of punishment. Consequently, it is the subject of much controversy. China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the
Death is a universal inevitability, but human responses are different. How people deal with death has always been closely studied by anthropologists. Death-related beliefs and practices provide a window for viewing a society’s social organization, cultural values, and worldviews. With a long-term perspective, this window can also allow us to see mechanisms of culture change
Death is considered a taboo topic in most cultures. The lack of willingness to talk about the issue reflects discomfort with the subject and attempts to deny the reality of death. Instead of talking openly about death, most people use euphemisms and metaphors to maintain distance from it. This communicative avoidance then defines death as
The controversy surrounding the juvenile death penalty is not new; the courts have struggled with the issue for decades. Meanwhile, psychologists have presented research results on both the capabilities of juveniles and the public’s support for the juvenile death penalty. Although the Supreme Court has not consistently relied on psychological findings, those findings are relevant