Sean Sellers was a sixteen year old boy who lived in the state of Oklahoma. On September 5, 1985 he went and killed Robert Bower, a store clerk. His reason behind the killing was 'he wanted to know what it was like to kill somebody'. Soon after he had done this crime, he went on and killed his mother and stepfather while they were sound asleep in their Oklahoma City home. There was a testimony that had been given by him and his defense that Sean was addicted to the game Dungeons and Dragons; doing so gave him no control over his actions. This did not help him in the courts and he was sentenced to death on February 4, 1999 at the age of 29.
Sean was the thirteenth person executed who was a juvenile. States have certain age limits to where they trial an underage person as an adult: 3 states for sixteen and above, 9 states for seventeen and above, and the rest for 18 and above. All of the juveniles that have been sentenced to the death penalty have all been male. Race wise, African Americans have been sentenced the most. Also, the most race victimized have been white.
Juvenile offenders who were on death row. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/juvenile-offenders-who-were-death-row
Sean seller. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/sellers512.htm
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Furman v. Georgia
William Micke was at home with his wife and five kids, sleeping. Soon after, he heard a noise and went to check it out. There he found 29 year-old, William Furman. Furman was attempting to burglarizing the Micke home, but was caught. As he tried to flee, the gun that he had been carrying on him went off and shot Mr. Micke in the chest; leading to his death which occurred instantly. He got away from the scene, but was discovered by police soon after still with the gun in his possession.
Furman was taken into custody and charged with murder. His trial took place soon after and since Furman was poor he got a poor trial. He claimed that the death of Micke was an accident and the gun should have never went off; he was simply robbing the place. The gun went off as he tripped. The trial lasted only a day, and ending with him getting sentenced to death. Furman was ruled as mentally ill and the evidence showed the accident, but he had no leeway.
Furman's case was given a new attorney to help defend him. Furman appealed his case because of cruel and unusual punishment. This case violated his Eight Amendment rights because the case had many flaws against Furman's race, his case was random, and it was unfair because of the condition him and his life was in. If he was educated and white, his chances of not going to the death penalty would have been higher. Also, there have been studies that show random cases go to the death penalty, because there were similar cases to Furman's that only received prison.
Furman was still sentenced to death. His appeal did not succeed in saving his life because of the courts unfairness. His case was the first one that violated the Constitutional Rights. Many years later, the Supreme Court voted and ruled the reverse of his case; that his sentencing to death was cruel and unusual punishment.
Furman v. Georgia." Supreme Court Drama. Ed. Elizabeth M. Shaw. UXL-Thomson Gale, 2001. eNotes.com. 2006. 12 Apr, 2011
Furman v. georgia. (2011). Retrieved from http://law.jrank.org/pages/12834/Furman-v-Georgia.html
Major death penalty cases in the us supreme court. (2008, October 6). Retrieved from http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=001769
Furman was taken into custody and charged with murder. His trial took place soon after and since Furman was poor he got a poor trial. He claimed that the death of Micke was an accident and the gun should have never went off; he was simply robbing the place. The gun went off as he tripped. The trial lasted only a day, and ending with him getting sentenced to death. Furman was ruled as mentally ill and the evidence showed the accident, but he had no leeway.
Furman's case was given a new attorney to help defend him. Furman appealed his case because of cruel and unusual punishment. This case violated his Eight Amendment rights because the case had many flaws against Furman's race, his case was random, and it was unfair because of the condition him and his life was in. If he was educated and white, his chances of not going to the death penalty would have been higher. Also, there have been studies that show random cases go to the death penalty, because there were similar cases to Furman's that only received prison.
Furman was still sentenced to death. His appeal did not succeed in saving his life because of the courts unfairness. His case was the first one that violated the Constitutional Rights. Many years later, the Supreme Court voted and ruled the reverse of his case; that his sentencing to death was cruel and unusual punishment.
Furman v. Georgia." Supreme Court Drama. Ed. Elizabeth M. Shaw. UXL-Thomson Gale, 2001. eNotes.com. 2006. 12 Apr, 2011
Furman v. georgia. (2011). Retrieved from http://law.jrank.org/pages/12834/Furman-v-Georgia.html
Major death penalty cases in the us supreme court. (2008, October 6). Retrieved from http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=001769
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Death Penalty Facts
The death penalty has been around since the Eighteenth Century using execution ways such as drowning and beating to death. Many changes have also occurred throughout the time the death penalty has been around such as, the execution methods and what states or countries choose to invest in use of the death penalty. Britain influenced the United States' use of the death penalty more than anyone else. the United States today, there are 34 states that are for the death penalty, while 16 of the states are against.
There have been more than 1200 executions since the 1970's and in 2011 there have been 11, so far. All races are have been either executed or victimized in cases involving the death penalty. Research shows, there are more black suspects that have been put to death over any other race, but whites are the highest race who are victims that have been murdered. Also, there have been 61 women who have been executed in the United States.
Texas stands as the number one on the list of states that carry out executions. All of the states are using lethal injection as their method of execution. This method is painless, yet quick, for the criminals. The death penalty is the ultimate punishment for those who commit capital crimes, such as murder. When sentenced to the death penalty it requires a lengthy process, which requires a mass amount of money. Giving a criminal the death penalty costs a lot more than keeping a person in jail for life.
*All information used from 1976-2011
Death penalty cost. (2008, July 1). Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-cost/page.do?id=1101084
Death penalty information center. (2011, April 11). Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf
Statistics. (2011, January). Retrieved from http://www.antideathpenalty.org/statistics.html
There have been more than 1200 executions since the 1970's and in 2011 there have been 11, so far. All races are have been either executed or victimized in cases involving the death penalty. Research shows, there are more black suspects that have been put to death over any other race, but whites are the highest race who are victims that have been murdered. Also, there have been 61 women who have been executed in the United States.
Texas stands as the number one on the list of states that carry out executions. All of the states are using lethal injection as their method of execution. This method is painless, yet quick, for the criminals. The death penalty is the ultimate punishment for those who commit capital crimes, such as murder. When sentenced to the death penalty it requires a lengthy process, which requires a mass amount of money. Giving a criminal the death penalty costs a lot more than keeping a person in jail for life.
*All information used from 1976-2011
Death penalty cost. (2008, July 1). Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-cost/page.do?id=1101084
Death penalty information center. (2011, April 11). Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf
Statistics. (2011, January). Retrieved from http://www.antideathpenalty.org/statistics.html
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