Execution of the Mentally Challenged

Paper Summary:

The paper shows that when the Supreme Court ruled to ban the execution of mentally challenged criminals, the decision raised many ethical issues. It discusses the difficulty in the judge's ability in determining a person's mental stability and the need for an analysis of the ethical principles in defining and applying the issue of mental retardation in the judicial system.

From the Paper:

"The ethical factors involved in handing down any death sentence are complex. This is especially true when the accused is a mentally challenged individual. In the American criminal justice system, the court must be assured that an accused individual is fully responsible for their actions in order to hold responsible for their crime. In other words, in order to prove guilt, we must know that the accused in fully aware of and responsible for their behavior."

More papers on Execution of the Mentally Challenged:

• Argumentative Essay # 22970 : "Death Penalty for the Mentally Challenged"
• Research Paper # 48270 : "Execution of Mentally Challenged Persons"
• Term Paper # 98162 : "IT and Change Management"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: