Congress and the Issue of the Death Penalty The United States relies on the lega

Congress and the Issue of the Death Penalty
The United States relies on the legal system to set laws that uphold individuals to the same standard. The laws are to be equally enforced, individually decisive, and aligned with human rights standards. Equality is the crucial part that the law system is to be adhered. Racial disparities create different treatment of individuals with identical or similar instances solely based on the factor of their skin or their culturally based background. For example, in traffic stops, a person of color has a higher rate of being stopped and searched for contraband rather than their white counterparts. These are prime examples that show if large numbers of individuals deliberately or accidentally go against equality, it defies what the law was set to accomplish. For this reason, Congress should make the death penalty illegal.
For instance, the death penalty percentage is higher for individuals of color. “Studies have consistently found racial disparities at nearly every stage of the capital punishment process, from policing and charging practices, to jury selection, to jury verdicts, to which cases result in executions “(Overview).” There is clear discrimination between the percentage of whites and those of color. There have been cases in which a state has intentionally removed black jurors for no reason other than based on the color of the pigment in their skin. The courts allow strikes in which a lawyer may remove a certain number of jurors without the need for a cause. Lawyers were found to question black jurors extensively while jotting down what could be made into an articulation for a motion to strike instead of just stating that it was based on race. As well, there were over three-quarters of death sentences given to individuals with white victims, and over half of the cases resulted in executions in 2019. Furthermore, the proportion of Latin death row prisoners showed a noteworthy increase in different counties, conforming to a clear bias in other counties with people of color. There has also been a remarkable statistic that showed almost two dozen Latin American nationals had been executed in the U.S. without the information that they could speak to counsel.
In addition, the death penalty is absolute and cannot be reversed in case of error. “The legal standard in a court of law for proof of guilt is beyond a reasonable doubt which is definitionally not 100% certainty, rather just a very high certainty (DPIC analysis: Racial disparities persisted in U.S. death sentences and executions in 2019).” Statistics from the Death Penalty Information Center have concluded that about 200 people have erroneously been sentenced to death resulting in execution. The individuals can no longer get their life back, and the actions cannot be undone.
Not to mention, the death penalty cost is more expensive than a lifetime sentence in prison. Costs may vary throughout the states, but some standard costs remain the same. The complex system in which to give someone the death penalty comes with costs such as labor hours, lawyers, court costs, and appointed certified officials. In addition, DNA testing is expensive and is all funded by the taxpayer. The fact is, “it is almost ten times cheaper” “(Rannow)” to serve a life sentence in jail rather than to be executed. Therefore, Congress should make the death penalty illegal.
Works Cited
“DPIC Analysis: Racial Disparities Persisted in U.S. Death Sentences and Executions in 2019.” www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/dpic-analysis-racial-disparities-persisted-in-the-u-s-death-sentences-and-executions-in-2019. Accessed 02 June 2022.
“Which is cheaper, Execution or Life Without Parole?”
www.hg.org/legal-articles/which-is-cheaper-execution-or-life-in-prison-without-parole-31614. Accessed 02 June 2022.
“Overview – Rule of Law,”
www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/overview-rule-law. Accessed 02 June 2022.
Rannow, Keaton. “Death Penalty Does Not Achieve Intended Goals.”,
www.blakespectrum.org/blog/2021/06/02/death-penalty-does-not-achieve-intended-goals/. Accessed 02 June 2022.