What is the death penalty for?

Question

specifically, what can you receive the death penalty for?

just killing a person?

please list sources.

thank you :)

Answer 1

The rules vary a little from state to state.  It's usually reserved for the most heinous crimes (serial killers, torture killings, killing of a police oficer, etc...)  It is up to the DA whether to seek the death penalty in any given case.

Answer 2

killing people . duh ........

Answer 3

Deterrence of crime and retribution for the harms they committed against society.

The big debate is whether it should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

I think life in prison is just as big of a deterrent and also is pretty harsh retribution without killing them.

I disagree that society can become a murderer just because someone else was. As Gandhi once said, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Plus there is always the possibility that an innocent person is put to death and then later they might be exonerated on new evidence, but by then it's too late. If they just had a life sentence, you can release a living person.

And yes, in some states, you can receive the death penalty for "just killing a person."