Capital punishment
Also known as: death sentence · death punishment · sentenced to death · death penalty · execution · judicial homicide · state-sanctioned execution
- 1Capital punishment is defined as state-sanctioned killing for criminal offenses.
- 2The formal order for this punishment is known as a death sentence.
- 3The act of carrying out the sentence is formally called an execution.
- 4Prisoners awaiting execution are commonly referred to as being on death row.
- 5The term capital originates from the Latin word capitalis, historically referring to execution by beheading.
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct.
Connections1
advocacy focus for David Kaczynski
Following his brother's arrest, David Kaczynski became a prominent activist against the death penalty, arguing that the state should not execute his brother despite the severity of his crimes.
Capital punishment, frequently referred to as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of executing an individual as a consequence for criminal misconduct. Historically termed judicial homicide, the process involves a formal legal sentence that mandates the termination of the offender's life.
Accession Number: 1974:0056:0386 Maker: William M. Vander Weyde (American 1871–1929) Title: Electric Chair at Sing Sing Date: ca. 1900 Medium: negative, gelatin on glass Dimensions: 6.5x8.5 in. George Eastman House Collection General – information about the George Eastman House Photography Collection is available at h...Wikimedia Commons; derivative work: Nesnad ( talk ) Electric_Chair_at_Sing_Sing.jpg : George Eastman House; Electric_Chair_at_Sing_Sing.jpg; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P18 (image)Japanese executioner prepares to behead a condemned Chinese man kneeling before his own grave, Tianjin China. From tif image in LoC, cropped, noise reduced/sharpened, and adjusted curvesWikimedia Commons; Underwood & Underwood; Library of Congress; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P18 (image)[Plate p.10. Conquistadors attacking a village of Indians. Scene of hangings and stake.] [Call number: BNF C43324]. / / A 16th-century illustration by Flemish Protestant Theodor de Bry for Las Casas' Brevisima relación de la destrucción de las Indias, depicting Spanish atrocities during the conquest of Hispaniola. Bar...Wikimedia Commons; Joos van Winghe / Johann Theodor de Bry / Bartolomé de las Casas; Bibliothèque nationale de France - https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b20000085/f2.item; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P18 (image) Individuals awaiting the implementation of this sentence are typically held in specialized facilities and are described as being on death row. While the etymological roots of the term capital trace back to beheading, modern legal systems employ a variety of execution methods to carry out the state's mandate.