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OverviewIn the 400 years since the first known execution was carried out for treason in Virginia, American jurisdictions have debated both the appropriateness and methods of capital punishment. Over that time, courts have placed varying restrictions on its application, excluding categories of citizens (for example the insane or the underaged) and evaluating and excluding methods of execution by the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on “cruel and unusual punishment.” Critics have highlighted controversial issues, including race and class, to argue against capital punishment’s perceived uneven application. Others have argued that capital punishment is “cruel and unusual” in any form and should be outlawed altogether. Most recently, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, in a 5-4 bare majority, that capital punishment is not cruel and unusual for the crime of murder, provided certain factors are also present. In the same decision it held that infliction of pain of during an execution did not bar its application. States remain free to employ the death penalty or not, and if so, choose freely the method each state deems most appropriate. In Capital Punishment in American Courts, distinguished political scientists James B. Whisker and Kevin R. Spiker survey this history from a penetrating new perspective. Full Product DetailsAuthor: James Whisker , Kevin SpikerPublisher: Academica Press Imprint: Academica Press Weight: 0.425kg ISBN: 9781680532050ISBN 10: 1680532057 Pages: 294 Publication Date: 28 February 2020 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsReviewsAuthor InformationJames B. Whisker is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at West Virginia University. Kevin R. Spiker is Associate Professor of Political Science at Ohio University. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |