...In 1984, Kirk Bloodsworth was convicted of the rape and murder of a nine year old girl by a jury of his peers, an outcome which relied heavily on accounts given by five eyewitnesses (Bloodsworth v. State, 1986). At first, Bloodsworth was sentenced to execution via gas chamber but DNA evidence proved him to be innocent. As a result, many countries and states within the United States are attempting to make changes in how eyewitness testimony is evaluated in court (Connors, 1996). Eyewitness testimony is an account of what that person allegedly observed during an incident under investigation to a jury and this account is used as evidence to show what happened from a witness' perspective. Preferably, this recollection of events should be detailed...
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...Pros and Cons of Death Penalty Does the execution of a murderer serve justice for all? One of the most controversial topics in the world today not only deals with the death penalty, also known as capital punishment, but whether it should be abolished or not . While some believe that the death penalty is “cruel and unusual punishment” violating the 8th amendment of the United States Constitution, others argue that “an eye for an eye” does justice. Thirty-four different states support this type of punishment including Oklahoma, leaving fifteen states that do not. According to Newport and the Gallup Polls, as of May 2007, “sixty-six percent of Americans -- almost the same percentage that supports the death penalty” consider the death penalty “morally acceptable.” Only twenty-seven percent of people believe the death penalty is morally wrong. Some say that the “legality in the United States is critically undermining American moral stature around the world (Ballaro & Cushman)." The death penalty is a very emotional, complex, and rather complicated matter that includes, but not limited to, the argument of the pros and cons as well as the fact that some convicted people whether executed or not are then later freed from guilt and blame (exonerated). There are many different pros of the death penalty, but I have chosen to only discuss a few of the most controversial topics. Supporters of death penalty believe that “[j]ustice is only achieved when a crime is met with the proper punishment...
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...What about the various countries whom have taken the act in an attempt to exonerate those individuals especially here within the United States? I believe that the wrongly accused deserve to not only be exonerated from their sentence but also compensated for all the time lost due to being wrongfully convicted in the first place. Anyone that has been exonerated should be well provided for due to the simple fact that those whom have been incarcerated may have the tendency to be unprepared meeting the challenges of the world today in some shape or form. Since most topics in criminal justice systems and contrast/comparisons have been spoken of numerous of times and the idea of exonerating individuals is current plus still a fairly new field of study and concern, I will share some accounts, data, and my standpoint on this area after the conviction. Introduction A person should be innocent before proven guilty and the criminal justice process involves a series of steps for finding someone convicted of a crime by following certain procedures. The U.S. Constitution is supposed to ensure the protection of those rights. This is why we go through great lengths of looking for evidence and testimony in our...
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...DNA profiling (also called DNA testing, DNA typing, or genetic fingerprinting) is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier. DNA profiling should not be confused with full genome sequencing.[1] It is used in, for example, parental testing and criminal investigation. Although 99.9% of human DNA sequences are the same in every person, enough of the DNA is different to distinguish one individual from another, unless they are monozygotic twins.[2] DNA profiling uses repetitive ("repeat") sequences that are highly variable,[2] called variable number tandem repeats (VNTR), particularly short tandem repeats (STR)s. VNTRs loci are very similar between closely related humans, but so variable that unrelated individuals are extremely unlikely to have the same VNTRs. The DNA profiling technique was first reported in 1984[3] by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester in England,[4] and is now the basis of several national DNA databases. Dr. Jeffreys's genetic fingerprinting was made commercially available in 1987, when a chemical company, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), started a blood-testing centre in England.[5] Contents [hide] 1 DNA profiling process 1.1 RFLP analysis 1.2 PCR analysis 1.3 STR analysis 1.4 AmpFLP ...
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