-
The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. Death the only punishment for all crimes. (“Early History of the Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center”) The death penalty is still apart of the criminal justice system but they do it in a more humane way. -
In the Tenth Century A.D., hanging became the usual method of execution in Britain. In the following century, William the Conqueror would not allow persons to be hanged or otherwise executed for any crime, except in times of war. (“Early History of the Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center”) People can still be sentenced to death for capital crimes. -
He was executed by firing squad for allegedly being a Spanish spy. It highlights the early use of the death penalty in the New World and its role in shaping the legal and social landscape of the colonies. -
Michigan was the first state to abolish the death penalty, this happened in 1846, as part of a broader revision of the state's criminal code. While treason remained a crime punishable by death in Michigan at the time, no one was ever executed under that law. The death penalty was later permanently banned in Michigan's constitution in 1963 -
juvenile courts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries represented a significant shift in how juvenile offenders were addressed, moving away from punishment towards rehabilitation and reform. These courts emphasized individualized attention, guidance, and support for youth, recognizing the developmental differences between children and adults. -
the death penalty, as then applied, was unconstitutional under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments because it was arbitrary and disproportionately affected minorities and the poor, effectively halting executions nationwide. -
the first state to adopt lethal injection as a method of execution in 1977. This method was implemented to replace other more cruel methods of execution, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. -
the case of Ford v. Wainwright, ruled that executing an inmate who is mentally insane is unconstitutional, citing the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment -
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing individuals who were 15 or younger at the time of their crime constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, violating the Eighth Amendment. -
the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, specifically Title VI, which is the Federal Death Penalty Act, expanded the federal death penalty to cover a broader range of crimes, including those not involving murder.