Ethics

For this case study, you are a member of the jury in a murder trial. The defendant has been convicted and now you are in the sentencing phase of the trial. The jury is evenly split between those who are opposed to and in favor of the death penalty. You have the opportunity to influence the jury and present your views on this topic. What will you say to influence them for or against the death penalty. As you present your argument, please be sure to use terms from the text. You may also present data from outside sources

I would be for the death penalty if it involved violations against the sanctity of life (murder of the innocent) or the harming of children, due to their innocents. The way I would present my argument would be where Rae states “Criminal sanctions intend to evoke a respect for the law that is necessary if society is to keep from plunging into chaos” pg. 249. If we do not show society that there is a consequence for their crime such as the death penalty, then there will always be some people that will do whatever crime they chose because the consequence may not be an issue. A severe crime needs to have a more severe punishment in order to keep order. I would also point to the Bible as Rae states “At the least, the principle that underlies the idea of capital punishment is the sanctity of life made in the image of God.” Pg. 251 Capital punishment is throughout the Bible, old and new testament.

Numbers 35:30 states “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” (ESV) This is saying that there must be “a high degree of certainty about the guilt of the murderer” (pg. 253) and circumstantial evidence would not be enough to use capital punishment. I would close with letting the jurors know that capital punishment is acceptable in the Bible and if we have more than a reasonable doubt of evidence/multiple witnesses and he took a life or...