CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE UNITED STATES A Documentary History

Edited by BRYAN VILA and CYNTHIA MORRIS

Primary Documents in American History and Contemporary Issues

GREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut • London

Contents

Series Foreword

xix

Preface

xxi

Introduction

xxv

Significant Dates in the History of Capital Punishment

xxxvii

PART I: EARLY VIEWS ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: COLONIAL ERA TO INDEPENDENCE Document 1: The Bible and Capital Punishment A. God Speaking to Noah

6 6

B. The Sixth Commandment

6

C. God Speaking to Moses D. Jesus Speaking to the Multitudes in the Sermon on the Mount

6 7

E. The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans F. The Revelation of St. John the Divine Document 2: The Capital Laws of Massachusetts (1641) Document 3: William Perm's Frame of Government (1682) Document 4: New England Execution Sermon and Condemned's Response (1686) A. Increase Mather Addressing the Crowd B. Increase Mather Addressing the Condemned Man C. The Last Expressions & Solemn Warning of fames Morgan Document 5: The Reasons and Design of Public Punishments (Nathan Strong, 1777)

7 7 7 10 12 12 13 14 15

x ii

Contents

Document 6: A Bill for Proportioning Crimes and Punishments (Thomas Jefferson, 1779) Document 7: The Execution of Hannah Ocuish (1786) Document 8: An Enquiry into the Effects of Public Punishments Upon Criminals and Upon Society (Benjamin Rush, 1787) Document 9: The Bill of Rights (1791) A. The Fifth Amendment B. The Sixth Amendment C. The Eighth Amendment Document 10: An Enquiry How Far the Punishment of Death Is Necessary in Pennsylvania (William Bradford, 1793) Document 11: An Account of the Alteration and Present State of the Penal Laws of Pennsylvania (Caleb Lownes, 1794)

16 i8

20 23 24 24 24

24

28

PART II: THE ABOLITION MOVEMENT GAINS GROUND, 1800-1917 Document 12: An Account of the State Prison or Penitentiary House, in the City of New-York (Thomas Eddy, 1801) Document 13: Report on the Penitentiary System in the United States (1822) Document 14: Edward Livingston (1825) Document 15: Report on the Abolition of Capital Punishment (Robert Rantoul, 1836) Document 16: Report on Capital Punishment Made to the Maine Legislature (1836) Document 17: The Manual of Peace (Thomas C. Upham, 1836) Document 18: Report in Favor of the Abolition of the Punishment of Death by Law (John O'Sullivan, 1841) Document 19: Rev. George Barrel Cheever (1843) Document 20: Essays on the Punishment of Death (Charles Spear, 1844) Document 21: Letters from New York (Lydia Maria Child, 1845) Document 22: "Death by Human Law" (Horace Greeley, 1850) Document 23: The Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1 (1868) Document 24: Wilkerson v. Utah (1879) Document 25: In re Kemmler (1890) Document 26: Resist Not Evil (Clarence Darrow, 1902) Document 27: Weems v. U.S. (1910) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion

39

40 43

45 48 50

52 53 56 58 62 65 66 68 69 71 71 73

Contents

xiii

PART III: WAR AND ECONOMIC DEPRESSION OVERSHADOW CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, 1918-1959 Document 28: First Gas Chamber Execution (Gee Jon, 1924) Document 29: 7s Capital Punishment a Wise Public Policy? (Clarence Darrow and Alfred J. Talley, 1924) A. Alfred J. Talley

78 79 80

B. Clarence Darrow

80

C. Alfred J. Talley

81

Document 30: The Execution of Sacco and Vanzetti (1927)

82

Document 31: Sing Sing Warden Lewis E. Lawes (1928)

84

Document 32: Powell v. Alabama (1932)

86

A. Opinion of the Court

86

B. Dissenting Opinion

88

Document 33: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1937-1938) A. Gallup Poll Report, January 3, 1937 B. Gallup Poll Report, January 16, 1938 Document 34: The Execution of Private Slovik (1945)

89 89 90 90

A. Comment of Major Frederick J. Bertolet

91

B. Endorsement of Brigadier General E. C. McNeil

92

C. Message of Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder Document 35: Louisiana ex rel. Francis v. Resweber (1947)

92 93

A. Opinion of the Court

93

B. Dissenting Opinion

94

Document 36: Patton v. Mississippi (1947)

95

Document 37: San Quentin Warden Clinton Duffy (1950)

97

Document 38: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1953)

98

A. Gallup Poll Report, January 30, 1953

99

B. Gallup Poll Report, November 21, 1953

99

Document 39: The Execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (1953)

99

A. President Eisenhower and the Supreme Court Uphold the Death Sentences B. Public Reaction to the Executions

100 101

Document 40: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1957)

101

Document 41: Trap v. Dulles (1958)

102

A. Opinion of the Court

103

B. Dissenting Opinion

104

Document 42: The Death Penalty (Thorsten Sellin, 1959)

105

xjv

Contents

PART IV: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE COURTS, 1960-1976 Document 43: The Execution of Caryl Chessman (1960) Document 44: California Gov. Edmund G. Brown (1960)

H4 n 6

Document 45: J. Edgar Hoover (1960)

119

Document 46: "Testing the Death Penalty" (Gerald Gottlieb, 1961)

120

Document 47: Rudolph v. Alabama (1963)

123

Document 48: The ACLU Takes a Stand Against the Death Penalty (1965)

125

Document 49: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1966)

127

Document 50: President's Commission Report on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice (1967)

128

Document 51: The "Last Aid Kit" (circa 1967)

130

Document 52: Witherspoon v. Illinois (1968)

132

A. Opinion of the Court

133

B. Dissenting Opinion

135

Document 53: McGautha v. California and Crampton v. Ohio (1971)

136

A. Opinion of the Court

13'

B. Dissenting Opinion

13°

C. Dissenting Opinion

I39

Document 54: Furman v. Georgia (1972)

I40

A. Opinion of the Court

141

B. Concurring Opinion of Justice Douglas

142

C. Concurring Opinion of Justice Brennan

14 2

D. Concurring Opinion of Justice Stewart

I43

E. Concurring Opinion of Justice White

143

F. Concurring Opinion of Justice Marshall

144

G. Dissenting Opinion of Chief Justice Burger

145

H. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Blackmun

146

I. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Powell

146

J. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Rehnquist

147

Document 55: States' Response to the Furman Decision (1973) Document 56: President Nixon's Response to the Furman Decision (1973) Document 57: "Race, Judicial Discretion, and the Death Penalty" (Marvin E. Wolfgang and Marc Riedel, 1973)

I48 150 151

Document 58: Charles Black (1974)

153

Document 59: Ernest van den Haag (1975)

154

Contents

Document 60: "The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: A Question of Life and Death" (Isaac Ehrlich, 1975) Document 61: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1976) Document 62: Gregg v. Georgia and Woodson v. North Carolina (1976)

xv

157 160 161

A. Opinion of the Court in Gregg v. Georgia

162

B. Dissenting Opinion in Gregg v. Georgia

164

C. Opinion of the Court in Woodson v. North Carolina

165

D. Dissenting Opinion in Woodson v. North Carolina

166

PART V: THE DEBATE BEGINS ANEW, 1977-1989 Document 63: The Execution of Gary Gilmore (1977)

175

A. Concurring Opinion of Chief Justice Burger

176

B. Dissenting Opinion

176

Document 64: Coker v. Georgia (1977) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 65: The Deterrence Controversy (1977-1978)

177 178 179 179

A. Excerpts from the NAS-commissioned Paper by Klein et al.

181

B. Excerpts from the NAS Panel's Report

182

C. Excerpts from Ehrlich's Rebuttal to the NAS Panel's Report Document 66: Lockett v. Ohio (1978) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion

183 185 187 187

Document 67: For Capital Punishment (Walter Berns, 1979)

188

Document 68: The Execution of John Spenkelink (1979)

189

Document 69: Enmund v. Florida (1982)

191

A. Opinion of the Court

192

B. Dissenting Opinion

193

Document 70: Eddings v. Oklahoma (1982)

195

A. Opinion of the Court

195

B. Dissenting Opinion

196

Document 71: "Justice Powell Urges End to Death Sentence Delaying" {Washington Post, 1983) Document 72: Barefoot v. Estelle (1983) A. Opinion of the Court

198 199 200

B. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Marshall

202

C. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Blackmun

204

Document 73: Death Penalty Debate (1983)

204

xvj

Contents

A . John Conrad B. Ernest van den Haag Document 74: "Comparative Review of Death Sentences: An Empirical Study of the Georgia Experience" (David C. Baldus, Charles Pulaski, and George Woodworth, 1983) Document 75: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1985) Document 76: Ford v. Wainwright (1986) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 77: Anthony G. Amsterdam (1987) Document 78: Booth v. Maryland (1987) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 79: McCleskey v. Kemp (1987) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 80: Death Penalty for Juveniles (Victor Streib, 1987) Document 81: Hugo Adam Bedau (1987) Document 82: "Miscarriages of Justice in Potentially Capital Cases" (Hugo Adam Bedau and Michael Radelet, 1987) Document 83: The "Miscarriage of Justice" Controversy (1988) A. Markman and Cassell's Rebuttal to the Bedau-Radelet Study B. Bedau and Radelet's Response to Markman and Cassell Document 84: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1988) Document 85: Deterrence or Brutilization? (William J. Bowers, 1988) Document 86: Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 87: Stanford v. Kentucky (1989) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 88: Penry v. Lynaugh (1989) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 89: "A National Study of the Fwrman-Commuted Inmates: Assessing the Threat to Society from Capital Offenders" (1989)

205

207

209 210 211

*• 21 3 2l5 2i6

21' 218

219 22 " 222 223 225 227 227 228 230 230 232 233 234 235 236 239 241 242 243 244

Contents

xvii

PART VI: THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE 1990s: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES Document 90: "Life-Without-Parole: An Alternative to Death or Not Much of a Life at All?" (1990) Document 91: "Death in the States" (U.S. News & World Report, 1990) Document 92: "Murder, Capital Punishment, and Television: Execution Publicity and Homicide Rates" (William C. Bailey, 1990)

254 256

257

Document 93: Amnesty International's Stand on the Death Penalty (1990)

258

Document 94: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1991)

259

Document 95: Coleman v. Thompson (1991)

260

A. Opinion of the Court

261

B. Dissenting Opinion

262

Document 96: Payne v. Tennessee (1991) A. Opinion of the Court

263 264

B. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Marshall

265

C. Dissenting Opinion of Justice Stevens

265

Document 97: "Execution in Your Living Room" (The Progressive, 1991) Document 98: Robert Alton Harris (1992)

266 267

A. Per Curiam Decision of the Court

269

B. Dissenting Opinion

269

C. Memorandum Decision No. A-768

270

Document 99: "The Debate on Treating Individuals Incompetent for Execution" (Kirk Heilbrun, Michael L. Radelet, and Joel Dvoskin, 1992) Document 100: The Cost of the Death Penalty (Richard Dieter, 1992) Document 101: Herrera v. Collins (1993) A. Opinion of the Court B. Dissenting Opinion Document 102: "Lethal Expediency" (The Progressive, 1993) Document 103: Misperceptions About Public Support for Capital Punishment (William Bowers, 1993) Document 104: Callins v. Collins (1994) Document 105: Simmons v. South Carolina (1994)

271 272 274 275 276 277 278 280 281

A. Plurality Opinion

282

B. Dissenting Opinion

283

xviii

Contents

Document 106: Physician Participation in Executions (1994) Document 107: Public Opinion and the Death Penalty (1994) Document 108: "Capital Punishment" (Tom Disch, 1995) Document 109: The New York Death Penalty Statute (1995) Document 110: "Apartheid Lives on America's Death Row" (Jack Greenberg, 1995) Document 111: "56 Executions This Year Are Most Since 1957" (Associated Press, 1995) Document 112: Felkner v. Turpin (1996)

Glossary

283 285 286 289 291 293 294

301

Appendix A: Federal and State Capital Offenses in the United States

303

Appendix B: U.S. Executions: Colonial Times to 1995

309

Appendix C: Selected U.S. Supreme Court Cases

311

Appendix D: Capital Punishment Interest Groups and Related Organizations

313

Select Bibliography

315

Index

327