Changes

=== United States ===

=== United States ===

Capital punishment in the United States is handled on a state-by-state basis; 17 states and the [[District of Columbia]] prohibit the death penalty.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2113102,00.html</ref> But the federal government and the military fully use capital punishment for the most heinous crimes, including treason.

The federal government (both in the civilian sector and the military) authorize capital punishment for the most heinous crimes, including treason.  The last Federal execution was that of Timothy McVeigh, ringleader of the [[Oklahoma City bombing]].

[[Pennsylvania]] has hundreds of people on [[death row]], though only three inmates have been executed since the reinstatement of capital punishment laws, and all three essentially "volunteered" by dropping their appeals. But other states, such as [[Texas]], execute convicted persons on death row with regularity.<ref>A rare exception in Texas is a man who has been on death row for 31 years. [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-deathrow28jan28,1,1271967.story?coll=la-headlines-nation]</ref>  Frivolous appeals and overly cautious stays of execution can create a backlog on death rows in many states.

At the state level, 17 states and the [[District of Columbia]] prohibit the death penalty.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2113102,00.html</ref>  In the ''Furman'' case, the Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty in 1973 (and all inmates had their sentences automatically commuted to life in prison), but in 1977 (after intervening changes in state laws) once again allowed it in the ''Gregg'' series of cases.<ref>One of the companion cases to ''Gregg'' involved a Texas inmate.  After ''Furman'', Texas dramatically changed its laws to limit by statute what murders would qualify for the death penalty; the Supreme Court noted that Texas' statutory scheme would make the death penalty "an available sentencing option -- even potentially -- for a smaller class of murders in the state", somewhat ironic given that in the intervening years Texas has far and away carried out more executions than any other state.</ref>

Though the United States suspended the death penalty in 1973, it was reinstated in 1977. 65% of Americans believe putting someone to death for a crime is acceptable, according to a recent poll.  But respondents were close to evenly split on whether they would prefer the death penalty (50%) to mandatory life in prison (46%).  The death penalty is most favored by age 30+ males who are [[Caucasian]] and [[Republican]].<ref>ABC News/Washington Post poll: [http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/1015a3DeathPenalty.pdf Death Penalty]</ref>

Even in those states which still have death penalty statutes on the books, executions may be few and far between: [[Pennsylvania]] has hundreds of people on [[death row]], though only three inmates have been executed since the reinstatement of capital punishment laws, and all three essentially "volunteered" by dropping their appeals.  Ultra-liberal [[California]] also has death penalty statutes on the books, but hasn't executed anyone since 2006 notwithstanding two failed state initiatives to abolish the death penalty in the state.

 

 

Frivolous appeals (often repetitive, making the same arguments previously rejected) and overly cautious stays of execution can create a backlog on death rows in many states.

 

65% of Americans believe putting someone to death for a crime is acceptable, according to a recent poll.  But respondents were close to evenly split on whether they would prefer the death penalty (50%) to mandatory life in prison (46%).  The death penalty is most favored by age 30+ males who are [[Caucasian]] and [[Republican]].<ref>ABC News/Washington Post poll: [http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/1015a3DeathPenalty.pdf Death Penalty]</ref>

Capital punishment for federal crimes existed for centuries.  After the death penalty was suspended by [[judicial activism]] in 1973, the federal government reinstated it again in 1988.<ref>http://www.justice.gov/dag/pubdoc/deathpenaltystudy.htm</ref>

Capital punishment for federal crimes existed for centuries.  After the death penalty was suspended by [[judicial activism]] in 1973, the federal government reinstated it again in 1988.<ref>http://www.justice.gov/dag/pubdoc/deathpenaltystudy.htm</ref>