Law & You 4th
Hour Mr. Gragg
Homework on
Death Penalty
Due Tuesday,
February 3 at the beginning of class.
- Research both the “agree” and
“disagree” side of one of the four “Arguments For and Against the Death
Penalty” on the Michigan State website: http://deathpenaltyinfo.msu.edu/c/about/arguments/contents.htm
In
class, you will be assigned one of the four arguments (Deterrence, Retribution,
Innocence, Arbitrariness). Your homework is to examine the web site and write
down arguments both for and against. For example, one argument for
Deterrence is to discourage criminals. One argument against Deterrence
is that studies have shown the death penalty is not a deterrent. Provide a
written summary of the arguments based on information from the web site, and be
prepared to discuss in class.
- Search the Michigan State website to
find an answer to the following questions. In answering the questions, you
must identify the specific web page where you found the answer:
- If OJ Simpson had been found guilty
in 1994, could he have received the death penalty? What method of
execution would have been used? How had this changed since 1991?
- If you received the death penalty in
Michigan, how would you be executed?
- Which state accounts for over
one-third of the 723 executions in the United States since 1977?