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Argumentative Essay: Texas Death Penalty In The United States

932 Words4 Pages

The death penalty is a controversial issue that has been debated in the United States for a long period of time. In our own state of Texas, executing convicted criminals has become second nature. This is due to the fact that Texas has executed more people than any other state in the United States since 1976. So why does Texas lead the United States in executions? There are many reasons and factors that has led to this point. It is important to know the reasons to have a better understanding of capital punishment in Texas. Three of the reasons include a weak public defender system, desires of district attorneys and judges, and the governors limited power to grant clemency.
Since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976 Texas has executed 531 inmates. That is 419 more executions than Oklahoma, the second leading state. Even more …show more content…

To win any kind of election/re-election candidates must work to please voters. Here in Texas where a majority of people have a strong pro-death penalty stance, judges must also have a strong stance regarding the death penalty if they would like to remain in office. This is concerning because judges will be more likely to seek he death penalty for the convicted so they can create a record of toughness to win over voters. Some elected judges are sometimes of lesser quality than appointed judges in other states, but since they have a record of toughness everything else is thrown out the window. District attorneys also try to maintain a tough reputation as well. Former Harris County District Attorney Johnny Holmes sought the death penalty as often as possible. It is record that after he left the office the number of death sentences as reduced drastically. The reasoning makes sense because of course the elected officials are here to serve the public, however they should not allow their egos and personal career stand in the way of giving out proper sentences to those that are

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