Riley Miller/Graceson Pollard Challenge I

1AC Combined
1. Opening
Hello my name is Riley Miller, me and my partner Graceson Pollard stand firmly resolved that
the United States Federal Government should eradicate Capital Punishment.
2. Definitions
a. Capital Punishment: A sentence given by the state whereby a person is put to death for a
crime.
b. Eradicate: To end, or abolish.
3. Harms
a. Innocent people are wrongly executed
One of the flaws of a system with no repeats is that once a decision is made to execute, there
is no going back. Over the past two years more than 13 people on death row, have been
proven innocent. This is a lot considering one must be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
before they can be sentenced. There is no telling how many innocent people that have been
executed over faulty trials.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-and-death-penalty
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-and-death-penalty-assessing-danger-mistakenexecutions
b. It is more expensive compared to alternate solutions
On average, each death penalty case in the entire United States costs 3 million dollars. In
California alone, tax-payers pay 137 million dollars each year. If the death penalty were to be
eradicated, 125.5 million dollars could be diverted back into the economy and over the next
20 years 5 billion dollars would be saved. Imagine this statistic nationwide.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/2200
http://www.amnestusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty- facts/deathpenalty-cost
c. The death penalty fails as a deterrent
Many people believe that capital punishment deters crime but studies show that this is not
true. Many studies, starting back from 2002, all find that the idea of the death penalty
detouring crime is fundamentally flawed and that this way of thinking should not be used
when making policy decisions. Studies found no actual relation between the number of
executions and murder rates in general and in Canada the murder rate has dropped by 27%
since the death penalty has been abolished. With this we can conclude that if the death
penalty has any affect it might actually increase crime and if it were to be abolished crime
rates might actually drop.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/2200
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/deterrence-states-without-death-penalty-have-hadconsistently-lower-murder-rates

4. Plan/Solution
Congress will pass a legislation that shall not permit capital punishment in any of the 50 states.
5. Mandate

Riley Miller/Graceson Pollard Challenge I

1AC Combined
After the legislation is passed, people previously on death row are to be re-trialed and if found
guilty sent to a high-security prison.
6. Agency
The Legislative Agency
7. Enforcement
The Judiciary agency, the state, and the local police
8. Funding
Funding will come from taxes, but ultimately money will be saved.
9. Advantages
a. Innocent people will no longer be mistakenly executed.
Without a penalty there would be no chance of someone being mistakenly identified and
killed, by a crime they didnt commit.
b. Tax-payers save money
Without any expensive drugs, chambers built for gassing, bullets and guns used for firing
ranges or most expensive, trials. Tax-payers no longer would have to pay an extreme
amount of money each time a person is executed.
c. With the money saved, better crime deterrents can be introduced.
Studies have proved the death penalty does nothing in way of reducing murder, with the
money the government saves from abolishing the death penalty we can institute better
preventive measures. Such as better schools, a better area police force, and many others.
10. Conclusion
Once again, we stand firmly resolved that the United States Government should eradicate Capital
Punishment. We now stand open for cross-examination.