China is one of the many countries, other than the United States, that practices the death penalty. China’s death penalty differs from ours in many ways though. Lethal injection was brought to their attention, while in some cases, firearms can still be used. China carries out the most executions than any other country in the world. The death penalty could be sentenced to a person for crimes that, in our eyes, are minor; crimes dealing with taxes and bribery. The Chinese death penalty system has zero tolerance and is used in many cases of crime. For example, Xu Shuangfu, gave a confession after he was beaten, shocked, and had gas, along with hot pepper, forced up his nose. Those kinds of actions are inhumane to us in the United States, but are a method for China.
There was a recent amendment passed in China that exempted thirteen crimes which could not result in the death penalty anymore, taking out the minor crimes. When a criminal breaks one of China’s laws, and is sentenced to death, the whole process is very fast. Trials can take less than an hour and after convicted, they are executed shortly after. The Chinese people barley has a right to an attorney, and no leeway is given to them whatsoever. As for the United States, when a person is sentenced to the death penalty, many steps have to be taken, which is a lengthy process and could take up to many years. The People’s Republic of China has not reduced their crime list for the death penalty since 1979, so this is huge for the Chinese people. This amendment will save many lives for crimes that are minor, but there are still consequences for these actions, such as imprisonment.
The thirteen exempt crimes are economic-related but are considered to be non-violent offences: including smuggling cultural relics, gold, silver, and other precious metals and rare animals and their products out of the country; carrying out fraudulent activities with financial bills; carrying out fraudulent activities with letters of credit; the false issuance of exclusive value-added tax invoices to defraud export tax refunds or to offset taxes; the forging or selling of forged exclusive value-added tax invoices; the teaching of crime-committing methods; and robbing ancient cultural ruins. In addition to these crimes, a person who is older than 75 years of age cannot be executed, along with people who are under 18 and women who are pregnant. Even though China is putting more leeway into the death penalty, imprisonment is becoming stronger.
China death penalty. (2007-2011). Retrieved from http://www.mahalo.com/china-death-penalty/
The death penalty in china. (2008, March 25). Retrieved from http://www.amnesty.org.au/china/comments/10960/
Xinhua, Initials. (2011, February 25). China exempts 13 crimes from death penalty. Retrieved from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-02/25/content_12081299.htm
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Betty Lou Beets
Betty Lou Beets was a 62 year old women who was sentenced to the death penalty. She sentenced to death on 02/24/2000, by lethal injection in at Huntsville prison. Not very many women had been executed, but she was one of them. Also, a name given to her because of all the chaos and actions she took was the “Black Widow of Henderson County.” Betty was a grandmother who was accused of shooting her husband. It wasn't just her husband, but her fifth. In recent years, she was also found guilty because she shot and wounded her second husband. To add to the list, she was accused of killing her fourth husband, but she was never charged for it. Being convicted in 1985, it took fifteen years for the whole process to take place.
For the murder of her fifth husband, he was found buried in the front yard of their house. She claimed that killing him would leave his insurance money behind, for her to have. It was brought to attention, during her process of conviction, that Beets was abused throughout her whole life; not only as a child but with her husbands too: sexually, physically, and emotionally. Governor at the time, George W. Bush, stated “After careful review of the evidence in the case I concur with the jury that Betty Lou Beets is guilty of this murder." Usually whenever there is evidence in the past that leads a person to have an mental illness. When a mental illness comes up during a case it is reviewed even more and may not even lead to the death penalty then because it violates a mitigating factor.
These actions violate civil rights that are granted to every person, but that didn't stop the execution from happening. Bush was criticized by many people for his actions in this case. The jury, when made the decision for her to be sentenced to death, did not know about her abuse. Betty, soon before her execution date, wanted a pardon, but it was turned down. US District Judge James Nowlin thought of her plea to be, "yet another example of a prisoner attempting to delay execution just prior to the execution date." She was given no leeway in her case. Her excuses of abuse did not help her in anyway and she was executed in the state of Texas.
Carson, D. (2000, June 13). Betty beets. Retrieved from http://www.txexecutions.org/reports/208.asp
Death penalty cases. (2010, December 31). Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions
Texas executes 62-year-old great grandmother betty lou beets. (2000, Feb). Retrieved from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/feb2000/exec-f26.shtml
For the murder of her fifth husband, he was found buried in the front yard of their house. She claimed that killing him would leave his insurance money behind, for her to have. It was brought to attention, during her process of conviction, that Beets was abused throughout her whole life; not only as a child but with her husbands too: sexually, physically, and emotionally. Governor at the time, George W. Bush, stated “After careful review of the evidence in the case I concur with the jury that Betty Lou Beets is guilty of this murder." Usually whenever there is evidence in the past that leads a person to have an mental illness. When a mental illness comes up during a case it is reviewed even more and may not even lead to the death penalty then because it violates a mitigating factor.
These actions violate civil rights that are granted to every person, but that didn't stop the execution from happening. Bush was criticized by many people for his actions in this case. The jury, when made the decision for her to be sentenced to death, did not know about her abuse. Betty, soon before her execution date, wanted a pardon, but it was turned down. US District Judge James Nowlin thought of her plea to be, "yet another example of a prisoner attempting to delay execution just prior to the execution date." She was given no leeway in her case. Her excuses of abuse did not help her in anyway and she was executed in the state of Texas.
Carson, D. (2000, June 13). Betty beets. Retrieved from http://www.txexecutions.org/reports/208.asp
Death penalty cases. (2010, December 31). Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions
Texas executes 62-year-old great grandmother betty lou beets. (2000, Feb). Retrieved from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/feb2000/exec-f26.shtml
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Pennsylvania Death Penalty
The death penalty in Pennsylvania dates back to the colonial times. The death penalty consisted of hangings, then the electric chair, to finally lethal injections (which is still in effect today). The electric chair was used until 1990, when Governor Robert P. Casey signed over Pennsylvania's method of execution from the electric chair to lethal injection. The executions are held in the State Corrections Institute at Rockview, which is located in Benner Township, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania only sentences a criminal to the death penalty if they are found guilty of first degree murder. From here on out, there are several steps required and a long waiting process to carry out the death penalty or to see if a criminal will actually get the death penalty. After the first hearing, where the judge sentences the guilty person to the death penalty, another hearing is held. This other hearing consists of the viewing of aggravating and mitigating factors. If there is at least one aggravation factor, and no mitigating factors, the death penalty will take place. The only thing that may stop the sentencing of the death penalty would be if there was a mitigating factor. One aggravation factor is if the criminal killed somebody while in the act of a committing a felony. One mitigating factor is he defendant, while in the act of killing, was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance.
If the last step clears, then the next would be to have it formally sentenced by the judge. After that, the Supreme Court has to also approve. At this point, the court can either keep the criminal subjected to the death penalty or have then sentenced to life in prison. If the death penalty is still sentenced, the Governor has to approve also. Then only he can set the date after signing a document known as the Governor's Warrant. Then after all of this, the execution will take place. It is a lengthy, and costly process, to carry out the death penalty.
Death penalty in pennsylvania. (2011, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.cor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/department_of_corrections/4604
Pennsylvania code on murder and aggravating and mitigating circumstances. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.capitalpunishmentincontext.org/resources/statelaws/pa
Philadelphia Inquirer, PI. (2007, July 1). Pennsylvania death sentences . Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/624
Pennsylvania only sentences a criminal to the death penalty if they are found guilty of first degree murder. From here on out, there are several steps required and a long waiting process to carry out the death penalty or to see if a criminal will actually get the death penalty. After the first hearing, where the judge sentences the guilty person to the death penalty, another hearing is held. This other hearing consists of the viewing of aggravating and mitigating factors. If there is at least one aggravation factor, and no mitigating factors, the death penalty will take place. The only thing that may stop the sentencing of the death penalty would be if there was a mitigating factor. One aggravation factor is if the criminal killed somebody while in the act of a committing a felony. One mitigating factor is he defendant, while in the act of killing, was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance.
If the last step clears, then the next would be to have it formally sentenced by the judge. After that, the Supreme Court has to also approve. At this point, the court can either keep the criminal subjected to the death penalty or have then sentenced to life in prison. If the death penalty is still sentenced, the Governor has to approve also. Then only he can set the date after signing a document known as the Governor's Warrant. Then after all of this, the execution will take place. It is a lengthy, and costly process, to carry out the death penalty.
Death penalty in pennsylvania. (2011, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.cor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/department_of_corrections/4604
Pennsylvania code on murder and aggravating and mitigating circumstances. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.capitalpunishmentincontext.org/resources/statelaws/pa
Philadelphia Inquirer, PI. (2007, July 1). Pennsylvania death sentences . Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/624
Sunday, February 6, 2011
1/31/11
An execution for punishment due to a serious crime a person has committed is known as the Death Penalty, or also Capital Punishment. No punishment is worse than the death penalty. The death penalty has won over the approval of 35 states in the United States, but some set limits to only a few number of offenses that can send a criminal to the death penalty, such as, murder and treason. Each of these states turn to lethal injection as their primary mode of execution because it does not violate the eighteenth amendment's ban of cruelty and unusual punishment.
There have been 1065 people that have been executed using lethal injection since 1976. Also, sentencing a criminal to the death penalty could cost up to millions of dollars. Lethal injections do not last long. After each drug is injected into the body, it is then flushed with saline to increase the rate of effect. The criminals are strapped down with an IV inserted into their body in which the drugs will flow through. There are three steps, in which the criminal has to go through while receiving the death penalty.
Lethal injection leaves it's victim unaware of what is going on; it is simply painless. For this to happen, a drug is injected into the victim, leaving them unconscious to where they do not understand, or feel, what is happening. This happens to be the first drug, Sodium Thiopental, used and is directed towards the criminal's nervous system to shut it down, thus putting them in the unconscious state. Secondly, Pancuronium Bromide is injected into the victim's body. This drug blocks the nerve messages that get sent to the muscles in the body, forbidding them to act. Eventually, the respiratory muscles shut down, enabling the victim to breath. The last injection is called Potassium Chloride, which stops the heart from beating.
Death penalty info. (2008, December). Retrieved from http://www.cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPinformation.htm
Facts about the death penalty. (2011, January 26). Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf
Lethal injection. (2010, December 31). Retrieved from http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/injection.html
There have been 1065 people that have been executed using lethal injection since 1976. Also, sentencing a criminal to the death penalty could cost up to millions of dollars. Lethal injections do not last long. After each drug is injected into the body, it is then flushed with saline to increase the rate of effect. The criminals are strapped down with an IV inserted into their body in which the drugs will flow through. There are three steps, in which the criminal has to go through while receiving the death penalty.
Lethal injection leaves it's victim unaware of what is going on; it is simply painless. For this to happen, a drug is injected into the victim, leaving them unconscious to where they do not understand, or feel, what is happening. This happens to be the first drug, Sodium Thiopental, used and is directed towards the criminal's nervous system to shut it down, thus putting them in the unconscious state. Secondly, Pancuronium Bromide is injected into the victim's body. This drug blocks the nerve messages that get sent to the muscles in the body, forbidding them to act. Eventually, the respiratory muscles shut down, enabling the victim to breath. The last injection is called Potassium Chloride, which stops the heart from beating.
Death penalty info. (2008, December). Retrieved from http://www.cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPinformation.htm
Facts about the death penalty. (2011, January 26). Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf
Lethal injection. (2010, December 31). Retrieved from http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/injection.html
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