Some say mental illness is an invisible disease, one that begins to eat someone from the inside out. Being mentally ill comes in many different forms: from basic depression and anxiety, to schizophrenia and depersonalization. These disorders can make a person feel as though they are losing control over what they are doing, as well as losing sight on what makes them normal. Mental illness can make a person do things that a normal person would not do, simple because of a person 's moral and ethical values. Sometimes, however, a person who is mentally ill commits crimes that are unforgivable. So, in lieu of these crimes, does that mean that the mentally ill should be punished, to the extremes of the death penalty, or should they be forced into …show more content…
In today’s day and age, a person does not get put to death for just any crime. A recurring argument against the death penalty is that sentencing a defendant to death violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition. The Eighth Amendment protects against cruel and unusual punishment. Mental illness is expressly recognized as a mitigating factor in most death penalty statutes. The Supreme Court came to the conclusion in the case of Ford vs. Wainwright that the use of cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to execute a person whose mental state renders understanding of capital punishment is impossible. Yet, there is a significant proportion of death row inmates are mentally ill and the research evidence found suggests that mental illness is often, in fact, an aggravating factor as far as capital sentencing bodies are concerned. The Supreme Court eventually came to the conclusion of this: “If it is cruel and unusual punishment to hold convicted criminals in unsafe conditions, it must be unconstitutional to confine the involuntarily committed - who may not be punished at all - in unsafe conditions” (French, 2005) There are rights that each individual has, and there needs to be guidelines to make sure each person is treated fairly, even if they do not deserve such …show more content…
Most mentally ill people who are convicted on capital charges should not be executed, for three such reasons. Firstly, the executions would violate equal protection of the laws in any jurisdiction in which execution of children and people with mental illness of any kind that psychologically cannot fully comprehend what they are committing is barred. Secondly, many death sentences imposed on people with mental illness violate due process more so because their mental illness is treated by the aggravating factor, either directly or to create a separate aggravating circumstance. Thirdly, many mentally ill offenders, who are sentenced to death, will be so impaired to what is fully going on at the time of execution that they can not emotionally understand the significance of their punishment. Thus, they cannot be executed under the eighth amendment; Regarding this, the latter conclusion is required even if they are cured through some sort of treatment. Given the unethical and medically inappropriate role, such treatment casts mental health
Therefore the question that should be asked is, Is the execution of a defendant with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Eighth Amendment ("FindLaw's United States Supreme Court case and opinions.",
In the case of Moore v. Texas, “the Supreme Court will face the question of whether it is a violation of the Eighth Amendment to use outdated medical standards in assessing intellectual disabilities to determine whether an individual may be executed.” This really stood out to me, to think that he committed the act of a murder in 1980, when he took the life of a grocery store clerk and they are questioning if he should face the consequences that he was given. In my opinion if you chose to take the life of any individual you must pay for your actions, I feel that many people use “intellectual disability” as a way to avoid being put to death. I do agree many people have mental sickness such as “schizophrenia, bipolar disorders etc” but if you
Texas holds the title for the state with most executions in the United States gaining heavy scrutiny for the use of death penalty. Many are concerned that the death penalty is in direct violation of the 8th amendment of the constitution which forbids the act of cruel and unusual punishment as well as being wrong on a moral level. This becomes a hot button issue when mental illness comes into play as 30% of Texas's incarcerated inmates, have been clients of the state’s mental health system (“Texas Death Penalty”). Andre Lee Thomas is one of those inmates, sentenced to death, but also deemed mentally unstable.
In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court in Atkins v. Virginia stated that it was unconstitutional to execute defendants with “mental retardation.” However, legal questions surrounding this issue remain unresolved. The Court in Atkins left the definition and method of determining intellectual disability up to individual states. It has been said that 46 known “mentally retarded” persons have been executed since 1976. Of these 46, two occurred after Atkins v. Virginia was decided.
An Ethical Critique of the Texas Death Row Appeals Process Rachel St. Pe’ CJ412-Criminal Justice Ethics Texas A&M University-Central Texas Abstract Although the methods of execution in Texas have evolved throughout time to more humane techniques, an increase in the cost of living of prisoners and the time between conviction and execution has resulted. By shortening the appeals the process, the overall funding and labor to house death row inmates will be decreased and a the possibility of an 8th Amendment violation by keeping prisoners on death row for years and years will be diminished. Introduction
I agree with the author’s counter argument to the criticism of the defense being discriminatory towards those who are poor. The comparison is moot. The line between a poor person under extreme duress and a mentally ill person can be blurred at times. However, if a poor person commits a crime and are deemed mentally ill then, they should be excused. That is what society has deemed acceptable.
And lastly, the mentally ill should not be held accountable for committing something they were
The Eight Amendment Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel, and unusual punishments inflicted. Previously the Eight Amendment was formed very differently from what we know today. The death penalty has been one of the most discussed topics since it first became a part of society. It is a constant disagreement to prove or challenge whether or not the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment which would then now go against the eighth amendment. The death penalty is a suitable sentence, while going through the history, and different methods.
Someone under terrible and extreme issues may not have the ability to handle the unfair and harsh punishments given to them. Some people believe the mental illness should only be taken into consideration when the time of sentencing presents. This shows how some states chose to abolish the insanity defense and replace it with the GBMI, which carries a penalty of crime. The GBMI allows the time of imprisonment to become varied; the defendant can prove he or she no longer classifies as mentally ill after the treatment in order to have freedom from jail (Semaje). This is especially important to promote the safety of the public, for the defendant’s rights and society.
The eighth amendment defines cruel and unusual punishment as torture and death by hanging or other murderous death sentences like in England how they had the guillotine and if you did something bad then they would cut your head off, Also pillory from medieval times, and being disemboweled
In 1989, The Supreme Court decided the Penry v. Lynaugh case. Penry, the petitioner, was convicted of rape and murder and was sentenced to death. It was found that Penry, in a competency evaluation, was mentally retarded, known today as intellectually disabled, with an IQ of 54 (Penry v. Lynaugh,1989). Despite Penry’s IQ, the jury found that Penry was competent to proceed and further sentenced him to death. Although there was also an insanity plea, the jury rejected the defense and again sentenced him to death.
This line from the article explains that the court didn’t think it was right to execute minors, but still did it in certain cases. In addition, the court found it unconstitutional to execute other categories of people. The article states,”(The Court had also, in 2002, held it to be a violation of the Eighth Amendment to execute mentally retarded persons.) " This excerpt points out that it is illegal to execute people with mental disabilities. Lastly, the court had to decide whether this case violated the Eighth Amendment.
On August 16, 1996, Daryl Atkins and William Jones, armed with a semiautomatic handgun, abducted Airman Eric Nesbitt from a nearby convenience store. The pair robbed Nesbitt of money on his person and then drove him in his truck to an automated teller machine where the ATM’s camera recorded them forcing Nesbitt to withdraw additional cash. Atkins and Jones then took Nesbitt to an isolated location where he was shot eight times and killed. Each confirmed most of the details in the other’s account of the incident, with the exception that each man claimed that the other had pulled the trigger. Atkins' version of the events contained many inconsistencies and the jury decided that Jones's version of events was more coherent and credible, establishing
It’s Not working out. By:Taija Jones. The 8th amendment says “Excessive bail shall not be required, Nor excessive fines imposed, Nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” . With that being said if the 8th amendment applies for cruel punishments of death penalties then why is it still happening.
The process of punishing criminals, who commit crimes against the law, has occurred for centuries. Capital punishment also known as the death penalty is the highest form of punishment the legal system in the United States, can present. The method of Capital punishment in the United States has been in effect for most of the country 's history, without much controversy. However, in today’s society the controversy of whether or not this process is sufficient continues today. Many people throughout America argue this form of punishment to be a hypocritical process, performed by a nation that claims to have liberty and justice for all.