Sadie Moody Professor Linder Texas Government 15 April 2024 Module 3 Assignment Crimes are constantly being committed in the United States, according to the FBI crimes as small as property crimes are committed every 4.1 seconds to larger more violent crimes occur every 24.6 seconds. All unlawful acts come with consequences, misdemeanors can come with a punishment such as a small fine or up to a year in jail while a felony can result in massive fines, a long sentence, and even lead to a controversial punishment known as the death penalty. According to the Department of Justice the death penalty has been around for an estimated 4,000 years and currently out of the 50 states, 27 still have the ability to execute the death penalty. Many support capital punishment while others oppose it. Those who support it argue that it is fair retribution for designated crimes, it lessens crime, and protects our society while those who oppose it argue that it is inhumane, does not actually deter crime, and is discriminatory. The argument that the death penalty should continue to be supported comes from families such as the Johnson family and Phyllis Loya, mother of Larry Lasater who was a police officer killed while on the job. Jason Johnson’s father murdered his mother in Shelby county located in Tennessee, and was later charged for her murder and sentenced to the death penalty. Jason Johnson expresses that it has provided justice and closure, in an interview he states, “I will go to see him executed, not to see him die, but just to see my family actually have some closure...He’s an evil human being.” Phyllis Loya feels the same way, she states, “I will live to see the execution of my son’s murderer,” and follows with, “People need closure...What it would mean for me is that my fight for justice for my son would be complete when his sentence...would be carried out as it should be.” Many families are brought closure after the perpetrator is submitted to the death penalty as it ends the countless details of the case that are presented on the press and social media of their loved ones' cruel murder while the murderer can continue to sit in jail and appeal their conviction. The death penalty puts an end to the continuous appeals. Not only can the death penalty possibly bring closure and justice to families, but capital punishment can also bring a deterrence in murder rates and protect our society. Drexel University economist Bijou Yang and psychologist David Lester of Richard Stockton College of New Jersey came to the conclusion that various studies done over a significant amount of time showed that the death penalty was a deterrent effect. There is a relationship between executions and a decrease in murder rates. A 2003 study by Emory University showed that in a pool of data from more than 3,000 counties found that each execution resulted in an average of 18 fewer murders per county. Another study showed that from all 50 states from 1978 to 1997, Federal Communications Commission economist Paul Zimmerman showed that each state execution prevents an average of 14 murders annually. Many will argue that the support for the death penalty should continue while others disagree and state that it is inhumane as well as not being a preventative to other less crimes and is discriminatory. The death penalty can be seen as torture as those on death row can develop “death row phenomenon,” according to researchers, which results in range of factors some being anxiety, severe physical, and mental trauma to those awaiting capital punishment due to solitary confinement and the long period of time awaiting. There is also a speculation that the death penalty is discriminatory, as in the United States an estimated 43% of all executions have been people of color, and 55% are currently waiting for capital punishment, all while only taking consideration of 27% of the population. When comparing defendants, as of October 2002, 12 people have been put to death where the defendant was white and the victim was African American to that of 178 African American defendants were executed for murders of white victims. Another study has shown that in the early twentieth century when the death penalty was applied for the crime of rape, 89 percent of the people put to death involved black defendants where most of the rape cases dealt with white woman. In the present era, when executions have been performed solely for murders, 75 percent of the cases involve the homicides of white victims and an estimated half of all murder victims in America are African American. Each state has their own opinion of the death penalty, the concept of justice can be achieved in a federal system that allows differences in criminal punishment from state to state, but it does not come easily. There would need to be a consistent equal protection clause, ethical considerations of different penalties, and engaging the public on what is appropriate. A state that supports capital pu