Texas Death Penalty: Controversies and Considerations
Texas has been using the legal death penalty for capital offenses for a very long time, executing a lot of people compared to the other states in the United States of America. Texas should cease using the death penalty in cases that are contradicting or circumstances that have conflicting evidence to execute a criminal.
Unfair "Law of Parties"
For instance, "law of parties" that allow the accused to be given a death sentence because of the actions of the other people who were involved in the same murder is not fair. The defender could have played a small role in the whole situation and sentencing him to death because of other people's offenses is not reasonable. Sometimes a defender is given the death sentence despite the evidence given having no grounds as to who did it or what kind of weapon was used.
Mental Illness
Another reason why the death penalty should be stopped in Texas is that some defenders are mentally ill according to their medical records and it is clear that a defender was not in his or her normal mental state when he committed a capital offense. These contradicting cases, therefore, should be considered before a death penalty is given to the defender.
Although these situations are expected to happen, Texas should carry out death penalties to capital offenses that are severe and with enough evidence. Death penalty by hanging and electrocution should be avoided as much as possible when one has to be given that penalty as a sentence, but other ways such as lethal injections should be used. Some offenses are traumatizing, and the only punishment that seems fair and valid is a death penalty, hence, should not be ceased for capital cases.
