The following is from a blog called Justice for America.
The death penalty and its use in the United States today are greatly
contested. Many people believe that it acts as an injustice system and
is biased—the death penalty unfairly affects those of low socioeconomic
status.
A study in Virginia found that there was a clear connection
between those who received the death penalty and the low quality state-appointed lawyers who defended them.
Those who do not have enough money to pay for a private lawyer are
therefore given one by the state.
These lawyers are disproportionately
found to be inadequate and many lose their license in the future. They
are almost always undefended and understaffed, therefore those who are
able to afford their own lawyers are more likely to avoid being
sentenced to death.
Those in favor of capital punishment argue that
every defendant receives a lawyer regardless of economic status. They
believe that the court-appointed lawyers are equal to those privately
hired by defendants with money.
However, this proves untrue when looking
at the quality of the lawyers—many of the court-appointed lawyers have never handled a capital case before.
There are only two ways to fix this problem: appoint lawyers who are
experienced and can handle capital cases, or abolish the death penalty
completely.
What are your thoughts?
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