Alharbi 1

Fawziah Alharbi

Dr. Cassel

ENG 1201-215

25 October 2018

Annotated Bibliography On the Death Penalty

My topic explores the death penalty. I still need to know more about the legitimacy of

the death penalty. Moreover, much needs to be comprehended in the context of public opinion

regarding the death penalty: “What is the death penalty and why is there so much controversy on

this topic? Who deserves this and how would this process work?” I think the answer to these

question will be found in many parliamentary and jury debates regarding the applicability and

legitimacy of the death penalty. Peer-reviewed articles, books, as well as website sources will

also be reliable sources of this essential information regarding the death penalty.

Jon B. Gould and Kenneth Sebastian Leon. “A Culture That Is Hard to Defend:

Extralegal Factors in Federal Death Penalty Cases.” Vol 107: (2017).

file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/ContentServer%2022.pdf

In this brief analysis, Gould & Leon assert that capital punishment has troubling aspects.

The article says that capital punishment is linked to extralegal factors such as class, race, and

gender, which strongly correlates with the probability of a death sentence. It also provides that

capital punishment causes significant geographic differences. It also provides that instead of

presenting uniform national system, the evident geographic differences suggest a similar

patchwork of outcomes evident in the state capital sentencing. The article argues that the re-

conceptualization of extralegal influences the association amid local legal culture case outcomes.
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The authors’ main intent in this article is to shed light on the extralegal factor that stands

right amid the defendants and the opportunity to defend against the death penalty. The authors

want to show that there should be an alternative to the death penalty. This article best addresses

the criminal justice administration professionals. The study was based in the U.S. Supreme

Court’s 1972 ruling in Furman v. Georgia. It also reflects the 1976 ruling in Gregg v. Georgia.

These cases involved the execution of the death penalty in the U.S. This setting shares that the

death penalty is a challenging ruling mechanism it should be complemented with alternative

proceedings. This article was developed by Gould & Leon. The authors are credible because

they offer an effective evaluation of court rulings more appropriately and accurately. They show

a complete understanding of the criminal justice literature, and this gives adequate material to

write the article. This article is reliable because it addresses relevant literature about the issues

with the death penalty. Information from this article will be used in shedding light on the effects

of capital punishment. It is intended for an academic audience. More on this, I will use literature

from this source to defend my assertion that the death penalty is cruel and inhumane and hence it

should be abolished. Information from this article will offer a basis for the recommendation.

Nina Totenberg. It's Sotomayor V. Roberts in Supreme Court Death Penalty Drama.

National Public Radio.(2015)

https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/04/29/403083859/its-sotomayor-v-

roberts-in-death-penalty-supreme-court-drama

This website source sheds light on the different approaches in which the death penalty

has been executed. It provides that lethal injection has been subject to discussion on whether the

drug combination currently applied to execute the convicted murderer in the different states are
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unconstitutionally cruel and harmful (Totenberg 3). The issue with the death penalty is that the

primary drug applied to anesthetize inmates is not available in all settings. Due to the

controversy of the death penalty, accredited drug manufacturers and pharmacists have declined

on ethical grounds to avail it for executions.

This website source was developed by Totenberg. The main intent was to shed light on

lethal drugs and the attached ethical controversies. Information from this source is very

reflective, and it will be used to show the share information on the effect of using lethal drugs in

the death penalty. It will also be used to show how lethal drugs clashes with justice and the need

to be abolished.

Hood, Roger. The death penalty in China: Policy, practice, and reform. Columbia

University Press,

2015.https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YPTcCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=

PT11&dq=the+death+penalty+in+chINa+pdf&ots=QqsGM3782B&sig=LUk1RyHhN7m

r9W6g_saWauDyjw0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20death%20penalty%20in%20c

hINa%20pdf&f=false

This book assesses the data of death penalty in the context of China. It provides that, the

death penalty in China is still a problem. As such, sensitive information on China's death

sentences as well as executions are high safeguarded, and hence it remains a secret for the state

(Roger 23). It also provides that China's leaders do not often take that death penalty as a priority.

It also shares information on the china’s death penalty reforms.

This book addresses criminal justice administrators in all settings. It also shares some

insight into the general audience. The book was developed by Roger. He is a credible author
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since he subjectively identifies and evaluates the death penalty literature in the context of China

more appropriately. This study source is very reflective, and hence it will be used to show the

need for the death penalty reforms in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Hans, Valerie P., et al. "The Death Penalty: Should the Judge or the Jury Decide Who

Dies?" Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 12.1 (2015): 70-99.

https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.co

m/&httpsredir=1&article=2699&context=facpub

This study source seeks to shed light on whether the judge has the right to decide who

dies. It focuses on the role of the jury and judges in the context of decision making. It asserts

that the State of Delaware, the judge has been granted much power to make the final ruling

concerning capital cases rather than the jury (Valerie 75) It asserts that the different sentencing

approaches avail a minute opportunity to compare the practice of judge as jury decision making

within a single state.

This piece is addressed to the criminal justice administrators. The article was developed

by Hans et al. The authors are credible in that they effectively analyze and report on critical

criminal practice literature. They effectively evaluated the state of Delaware decisions in regards

to the power of judge vs. that of the jury. This study source is very reflective of my topic of

study. I will use it to endorse that there should be certain criminal justice authorities who should

be entitled to weigh out the applicability the death penalty for the ultimate decision making.

Celeste Pewter. The Death Penalty in the United States, Explained. TeenVogue. (2018).

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-death-penalty-in-the-united-states-explained
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This study source is quite reflective of the question of the study. It uses current literature

to show incidences where the death penalty has been widely applied. It asserts that president

Donald Trump announced a new plan to address the nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic. It says

that they plan featured with some controversial components; however, the president endorsed his

high-end goal to put all drug dealers to death (Pewter 4). The article informs that there is a need

to get tough on the drug dealers in the effort to end the drug traffic nightmare.

The main intent of the author is to show that the death penalty can also be a solution to

the challenging crime-related factors. More on this, the author intended to inform the audience

about the controversial nature of the death penalty. This study source is addressed to the general

public. The article was authored by Celeste Pewter. The author shows an effective modern

understanding of capital punishment. Information from this article is very current and relevant,

and it will be used to show the effectiveness of the death penalty. It will also be used to make

recommendations on alternative practices for the death penalty.