Spring2016
Forsyth129,Tuesdays5-7:30pm
ProfessorDanUrman
CRIM1300
Office:RenaissancePark360Z OfficeHours:Thurs2-3:30&byappointment
TheDeathPenalty
“IsupportthedeathpenaltybecauseIbelieve,if
administeredswiftlyandjustly,capitalpunishmentisa
deterrentagainstfutureviolenceandwillsaveother
innocentlives.”
PresidentGeorgeW.Bush(2000)
“Therearecertaincrimesthataresobeyondthepale
thatIunderstandsociety’sneedtoexpressitsoutrage.
SoIhavenottraditionallybeenopposedtothedeath
penaltyintheory,butinpractice,it’sdeeplytroubling.”
PresidentBarackObama(2015)
TheverypurposeofaBillofRightswastowithdrawcertainsubjectsfromthevicissitudesof
politicalcontroversy,toplacethembeyondthereachofmajoritiesandofficialsandto
establishthemaslegalprinciplestobeappliedbythecourts.One'srighttolife,liberty,and
property,tofreespeech,afreepress,freedomofworshipandassembly,andotherfundamental
rightsmaynotbesubmittedtovote;theydependontheoutcomeofnoelections.
JusticeRobertJackson(1943)
OfficialCourseDescription:
ReviewsthehistoryofthedeathpenaltyintheUnitedStatesfromcolonialtimesthrough
thepresent.AmongWesterndemocracies,theUnitedStatesstandsaloneinitscontinued
useofcapitalpunishmentasasanction.Examinesthecontemporarydeathpenaltyandthe
manycontroversiessurroundingitscontinueduse(focusingonU.S.SupremeCourt
decisionsaroundtheconstitutionalityofthedeathpenalty).Discusseshistoricaland
contemporarycontroversiesaroundtheadministrationofthedeathpenaltyincluding
potentialinnocence,specialpopulations,methodsofexecution,raceandgenderbiases,
costs,deterrence,andinternationalrelations.
MyCourseDescription:
Weoftenhearthetermthat“Deathisdifferent.”Inthiscourse,wewillexplorewhyand
howthatisthecase.Wewillexaminethehistory,law,politicsandpolicyofcapital
punishment.Wewillbeginwithanintroductiontotheoriginsofthedeathpenaltyinthe
UnitedStatesanditsrolebeforeandaftertheCivilWar.Afterexaminingthehistory,we
willexploremoralandphilosophicalargumentsassociatedwithcapitalpunishment.We
willthenstudytheSupremeCourt’srulinginFurmanv.Georgia(1972),whichstruckdown
thedeathpenaltyasunconstitutional.Wewillthenexaminehow,afterreversingcourse,the
statesresponded,andtheSupremeCourtembarkedona40yearefforttodefinewhois
eligibleforthedeathpenaltyandtheproceduresunderwhichitmustbeimposed.Wewill
study,amongthekeytopics,theCourt’sEighthAmendmentjurisprudence,innocence
claims,andthemainpolicyargumentsforandagainstthedeathpenalty,focusingon
researchconcerningracediscriminationanddeterrence.Wewillconcludebyexaminingthe
currentstatusofthedeathpenaltyacrosstheUnitedStatesandtheworld,exploringthe
futureofitsuse.Throughout,wewillreadleadingcases,briefs,trialexcerpts,portionsof
books,aswellasprominentstudies.Bytheendofthecourse,youshouldbeabletocapture
thehistorical,political,andinstitutionaldynamicsatworkregardingtheDeathPenalty.
CoursePrerequisites:
None
RequiredReading:
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CapitalPunishmentinAmerica:ABalancedExamination(2ndEdition,2011)
byEvanJ.Mandery.“EM”insyllabus.
AWildJustice:TheDeathandResurrectionofCapitalPunishmentin
America(2014)byEvanJ.Mandery.“WJ”insyllabus.
TheRide(2009)byBrianMacQuarrie.“TheRide”insyllabus.
WeeklyreadingsonBlackboard
Further(Optional)Reading:
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TheSupremeCourtwebsitepostsoralargumenttranscriptsanddecisions:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/.
TheDeathPenaltyInformationCenter,anon-profitorganization,has
excellentinformationaboutthetopic:http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/
ACLUCapitalPunishmentProject:https://www.aclu.org/issues/capitalpunishment?redirect=capital-punishment
MassachusettsCitizensAgainsttheDeathPenalty:http://www.mcadp.org/
Visitwww.scotusblog.comforfantasticcoverageoftheSupremeCourtand
appellateissuesingeneral.CornellandNorthwesternalsohavegreat
SupremeCourtsites:http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/;andtheOyez
Project:http://www.oyez.org/
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CourseRequirementsandKeystoSuccess:
1. Attendclass.WoodyAllenapparentlysaidthat95%oflifeisshowingup.Sincewe
meetonceaweek,missingmorethan1classlowersyourparticipationgrade.
2. Completetheassignedreadingbeforeclass.
3. Completereadingquestions/responses(dueeveryclassexceptforWeek1).Turnin
printed(nothandwritten)copiesatthebeginningofeachclass.Youcanaska
factualquestion,respondtothereading,oraskaconceptualquestion.These
questionshelpsparkourclassdiscussions.Putyournameandthedateoftheclass
onthetopofit.Youarerequiredtowriteatleastonequestiontotalperweek,but
thatisafloor,notaceiling.10%ofthecoursegrade.
4. Participation.Here,IdisagreewithWoodyAllen.Youneedtoattendclass,of
course,butIalsowantyoutoparticipatebybeingpartoftheclassdialogue.Your
participationshouldcontributetotheclassdiscussion,anddemonstratethatyou
havereadandthoughtabouttheassignedmaterials.Active,meaningful,and
engagedparticipationwillimproveyourgrade.Ifyoucometoclassanddonot
participate,ordemonstratethatyoudidnotprepare,thiswillloweryourgrade.
Remainingsilentmeansthatyourstudentsandteacherswillnotlearnfromyou.
20%ofthecoursegrade.
5. Paper(5-7pages)dueApril5thinclassandelectronicallyviaTurnitin.Youwillpick
arecentmajorSupremeCourtcaseabouttheDeathPenalty(fromalistIwill
provide)andreadtheentireopinion.Afterreadingtheentirecase,youwillmakean
argumentaboutwhichopinionyouagreewithandwhy(majority,concurrence,or
dissent).Youshouldconnectthejustice’spositiontoatleastoneofthelarger
arguments/coursethemesrelatedto(moral,philosophical,constitutional,
application)ourstudyofthedeathpenalty.30%ofthecoursegrade.
6. FinalExam.Thecumulativefinalexamwillconsistofidentificationsandanessay
portion.Ifyouhavebeenattendingclassandcompletingthereadings,theexamwill
bestraightforward.40%ofthecoursegrade.
7. BerespectfultoyourclassmatesandProfessors.Thisisa“noelectronics,no
phones,nolaptop”class.Irecognizethattherearebenefitstoelectronicdevices,
buthaveconcludedthatthecostsoutweighthem.Thisbanimprovesclass
discussions,especiallyasmalleronelikeours.Pleasedonotuseyourcell
phone/blackberry/iPhone/tablet/smartphoneoranyotherelectronicdevice
duringclass.Usingelectronicswillloweryourparticipationgrade.
*Imaymodifythissyllabus.Iwillannouncechangesviaemailandinclass.
Grading:
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ReadingResponses:10%
ActiveParticipation:20%
Paper:30%
FinalExam:40%
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Plagiarism:
Donotplagiarize.Northeasterntakestheissueofacademichonestyveryseriously.Any
studentwhoappearstoviolateNortheasternUniversity’sAcademicHonestyandIntegrity
Policy(seewww.osccr.neu.edu/policy.html)maybereferredtotheUniversity’sOfficeof
StudentConductandConflictResolution.Ifaprovenviolationinvolvesanexamorcourse
assignment,thestudentshallreceive,attheveryleast,afailinggradefortheassignment,in
additiontosanctionsimposedbytheOfficeofStudentConductandConflictResolution.
Individualfaculty,withthesupportoftheDepartment,canimposeharsherpenaltiesasthey
deemnecessary.
TheAcademicHonestyandIntegrityPolicyincludescheating,fabrication,plagiarism,and
othertypesofdishonestactivities.Plagiarismisdefinedbroadlyastakingideas,concepts,
oractualwordsofanotherpersonandpassingthemoffasyourownwork.Lawisafield
thatinvolvesthewordsandwritingsofothers,soalwayscitesomethingthatisnotyour
own.Ofparticularnoteinrecentyearsistheincreaseincut-and-pasteplagiarism,which
involvesdownloadingphrasesfromwebsitesorotherInternetsources.Youshouldregard
thisasyourofficialwarning.
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WeeklySchedule
Completethereadingbeforeclass(exceptforWeek1).Guestlecturersaretentative,andwemayconnect
withthemviaskype(manyofthemarenotlocal).
Date:Topic
1/12 CourseIntroduction:TheDeathPenaltyinAmerica •
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Reading:
None Blackboard
EM,Introduction
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Thefoundingera
TheCivilWaranditsAftermath
ProgressiveEra
20thCenturyTrends
1/26 MoralConsiderations,PartI Blackboard
EM,Ch.1&2
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RetributiveArguments
ReligiousArguments
2/2
MoralConsiderations,PartII Blackboard
EM,Ch.3&4
WJ,Ch.14
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2/9
GuestSpeaker:RabbiMichaelRagozin,CongregationShiratHayam(Swampscott,MA)
DeterrencePartI
FilmabouttheDeathPenalty Begin“TheRide”
2/16 MoralConsiderations,PartIII Blackboard
EM,Ch.5-7
WJ,p.1-122
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Overviewofthetopicandcurrentstatusofthedebate
TheDeathPenaltyasa“uniquelyAmerican”institution
RecurringthemesinpublicdiscourseabouttheDeathPenalty
RoleandmakeupoftheU.S.SupremeCourt
1/19 HistoryoftheDeathPenaltyinAmerica
DeterrencePartII
Incapacitation
Cost
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Innocence
2/23 PublicOpinion,ProsecutorialDiscretionandPolitics Blackboard
Finish“TheRide”
WJ,p.123-246
Proposaldue2/22
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ProsecutorialDiscretion
PotentialGuestSpeakers:RobertCurley&JohnSlattery
RickyRayRector
TheAnti-TerrorismandEffectiveDeathPenalty
Actof1996(AEDPA)
3/1
ConstitutionalConsiderations,PartI Blackboard
EM,Ch.8
WJ,p.247-440
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WhatroledoestheSupremeCourtplay?Whatroleshoulditplay?Introductiontothe
Court.Purpose,historyandtextofthe8thAmendment
TheDeathPenaltyasAppliedinAmericanHistory
JusticeGoldbergandtheroadtoFurmanv.Georgia
TheroadtoGregg
3/7–3/11:SPRINGBREAK
3/15 ConstitutionalConsiderations,PartII:Race
Blackboard
EM,Ch.15
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LegalhistorianMichaelKlarmansuggeststhatFurmanunleasheda“backlash”
wherestatesthatpreviouslylackedthedeathpenaltyenactedit.DidFurman
domoreharmthangood?
GuestSpeaker:MichaelMeltsner
McCleskeyv.Kemp
3/22 ConstitutionalConsiderations,PartIII:Categories
Blackboard
EM:Ch.12-14
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PopulationsExemptedfromtheDeathPenalty:
o Juveniles,IntellectuallyDisabled,theInsane
3/29 ApplicationConsiderations
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Blackboard
EM:Ch.21,22,24
Paperdue4/4
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4/5
Whoreceivesthedeathpenalty?Race,gender,region,andclass
Delay,MethodsofExecution TheTsarnaevCase
ApplicationConsiderationsPartII
Blackboard
Bazev.Rees(2008)
EM:Ch.26&27
4/12 TheDeathPenaltyin2016
Blackboard
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Glossipv.Gross(2015)
Arewebackontheroadtoabolition?
4/19 Review,WrapupandReflection
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