History of Death Penalty
In 1884, which state was the first to start conducting executions away from the public eye?
Pennsylvania.
What is protected under the 8th Amendment?
Cruel & Unusual Punishment.
What is the difference between aggravating and mitigating factors?
Aggravating factors increase the severity of the charge, while mitigating factors potentially allow for more leniency.
Does Washington State currently have the Death Penalty?
No
True or False - The guillotine has been used as a method of execution in the U.S. since the 1970s.
False.
The electric chair was first built in this state in 1890.
New York
Was capital punishment deemed to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court?
Yes.
True or False - Mental Disabilities could be considered an aggravating factor
What did Benjamin Harris offer to police?
To help them find and identify the suspect.
True or False - It costs more to house an inmate for life than it does to execute them.
False - Executions are expensive.
True or False: Most people in the United States favor capital punishment.
True - 53% - 56%
In Gregg v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that the Death Penalty is constitutional as long as what are in place?
Specific Guidelines.
True or False - Mitigating evidence can come from school records, emergency room records, and mental health records.
True.
How was Westley Allan Dodd executed?
Hanging.
In death by firing squad, how many of the shooters actually fire blanks?
One of the shooters.
This person was the first recorded execution in 1608. He was a spy for Spain.
Captain George Kendall.
What did Roper v. Simmons establish?
Ruled it unconstitutional to impose the death penalty on offenders who were under the age of 18 at the time their crime was committed.
Name an aggravating factor when it comes to death penalty cases?
Multiple victims, prisoner or escapee, prior violent convictions, to avoid arrest, murder committed during a felony, etc...
What was significant about Dodd's execution?
First legal hanging in the United States since 1965 and the first execution in Washington state since 1963.
What is placed between the scalp and the metal skull cap when conducting execution by electric chair?
A saline-soaked sponge.
In what year was the cyanide gas chamber introduced as a method of execution?
1924.
What did Atkins v. Virginia establish?
Established that executing individuals with intellectual disabilities is unconstitutional.
When gathering mitigating information, it may be hard to convince witnesses that...
Bad information could be good for the defendant.
Who is the lone person to be exonerated from death row in WA State?
Benjamin Harris.
In an execution by hanging, the knot is placed behind which ear?
The left ear.