Deck 13: Capital Punishment and the Death Row Inmate

Question 1

Prisoners on death row:

A)frequently have limited intellectual ability and substance abuse issues
B)typically have a high level of education
C)typically have strong support systems
D)none of these choices

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The number of known wrongfully convicted prisoners sentenced to death since 1976 is:

A)approximately 100
B)approximately 1,000
C)approximately 5,000
D)approximately 10,000

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The review process for prisoners on death row takes 10 or more years from conviction to execution because:

A)there is the possibility of error
B)death penalty appeals are complex and take time
C)of appellate delays
D)all of these choices

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Responses of inmates on death row include:

A)claiming innocence
B)focusing on legal appeals
C)adopting religion
D)all of these choices

Question 5

Why does the death penalty remain an institution in the United States?

A) public opinion about capital punishment
B) political support for the death penalty
C) both public opinion and political support
D) neither public opinion nor political support

Question 6

The rates of psychological disorders among death row inmates are:

A)low
B)high
C)non-existing
D)none of these choices

Question 7

The most predominant method of execution in the United States is:

A)the electric chair
B)the gas chamber
C)hanging
D)lethal injection

Question 8

When does the jury determine whether the person will be sentenced to death or life in prison?

A)death phase
B)guilt/innocence phase
C)innocence phase
D)punishment phase

Question 9

The Supreme Court has ruled that no one who commits crime under the age of 18:

A)can be given the death penalty
B)can be imprisoned over 2 years
C)can have a sealed record
D)can be sent to prison

Question 10

The execution team is:

A)those who carry out the execution
B)the jury members that ruled in favor of the death penalty
C)the administrative board that denies all last minute appeals from death row inmates
D)none of these choices

Question 11

The number of prisoners on death row nationwide is:

A)approximately 3,000
B)approximately 50,000
C)approximately 15,000
D)approximately 100,00

Question 12

The trend worldwide is to:

A) establish the death penalty in all countries
B) abolish the death penalty
C) sentence more offenders to death
D) abolish the death penalty in practice but not in law

Question 13

Death-qualified jury:

A)means that all jury members must oppose capital punishment
B)means that defense attorneys must approve of the death penalty
C)means that prosecuting attorneys must approve of the death penalty
D)means that any person opposed in concept to capital punishment is removed during voir dire

Question 14

The number of executions carried out each year in the U.S. is:

A)None. The U.S. does not use the death penalty.
B)fewer than 50
C)between 100 and 200
D)over 200

Question 15

Research shows that the majority of Americans over the last two decades:

A)support the death penalty
B)oppose the death penalty
C)have no opinion about the death penalty
D)none of these choices

Question 16

The average time spent on death row in California is:

A)approximately 50 years
B)approximately 1 year
C)approximately 17.5 years
D)approximately 5 years

Question 17

The majority of prisoners on death row:

A)receive more privileges than most prisoners
B)are segregated from the general prison population
C)cannot receive visits from family members
D)are allowed cell phones

Question 18

Which country maintains its secrecy over its use of the death penalty?

A)China
B) Russia
C)Saudi Arabia
D)Yemen

Question 19

The execution of mentally impaired (retarded) prisoners:

A)is illegal in the United States
B)was conducted in the past, but is no longer done
C)is still conducted in the U.S.
D)none of these choices

Question 20

The majority of executions occur in:

A)Montana
B)Minnesota
C)Texas
D)Maine

Question 21

Which decision disallowed the execution of juveniles who committed a capital crime under the age of 18?

A)Atkins v. Virginia
B)Roper v. Simmons
C)Thompson v. Oklahoma
D)Witherspoon v. Illinois

Question 22

In which case did the defendant make the argument that the imposition of the death penalty was cruel and unusual because African American men killing white victims are sentenced to death with greater frequency than white men killing white victims?

A)Furman v. Georgia
B)Gregg v. Georgia
C)Pulley v. Harris
D)McCleskey v. Kemp

Question 23

The team that carries out the official act of putting an inmate to death is called the:

A)execution team
B)killing crew
C)death team
D)casualty crew

Question 24

How many officers usually escort the condemned from their cells to the execution room?

A)3
B)6
C)9
D)12

Question 25

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that execution of the mentally retarded was unconstitutional?

A)Atkins v. Virginia
B)Roper v. Simmons
C)Thompson v. Oklahoma
D)Witherspoon v. Illinois

Question 26

Officers who work on death row:

A)develop a rapport with the offenders
B)feel a sense of loss when offenders are put to death
C)do not feel responsible for putting offenders to death
D)all of these choices

Question 27

Who is responsible for establishing that mitigating factors exist which should cause the jury to bring in a recommendation for less than death?

A)defense attorney
B)judge
C)prosecutor
D)victim

Question 28

Deathwatch team officers are responsible for:

A)preparing offenders for execution
B)escorting them to the death chamber
C)explaining to condemned inmates what is going to happen to their personal property
D)all of these choices

Question 29

How often do state review courts overturn a death penalty conviction?

A)always
B)seldom
C)50% of the time
D)95% of the time

Question 30

Which death penalty study attempts to calculate the effects a well-publicized execution has on the short-term murder rate?

A)contiguous-state analysis
B)immediate impact studies
C)time-series analysis
D)none of these

Question 31

Which case declared the death penalty unconstitutional?

A)Furman v. Georgia
B)Gregg v. Georgia
C)Pulley v. Harris
D)McCleskey v. Kemp

Question 32

Michael is on trial for 5 charges of first degree murder and the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty. Michael is 18 years old and is accused of killing his entire family, including his mother, step-father, and two younger sisters, in a drug induced fit. He also killed the police officer who responded to the house after the neighbor called 911. This is the first time Michael has been arrested.
Michael's attorneys explain the process to him. They tell him that the jury first has to determine whether he is guilty or not guilty for the crime. This phase is known as:

A)death phase
B)guilt/innocence phase
C)execution phase
D)punishment phase

Question 33

Which of the following is not a retentionist argument of the death penalty?

A)deterrence
B)fairness
C)pragmatic issues
D)threat of recidivism

Question 34

Capital punishment is constitutional if state statutes clearly provide that, during the sentencing process, these conditions are met:

A)the court is informed about the defendant's background
B)mitigating factors affecting culpability are brought to the attention of the court
C)every death sentence is reviewed by a state appellate court
D)all of these choices

Question 35

Michael is on trial for 5 charges of first degree murder and the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty. Michael is 18 years old and is accused of killing his entire family, including his mother, step-father, and two younger sisters, in a drug induced fit. He also killed the police officer who responded to the house after the neighbor called 911. This is the first time Michael has been arrested.
His attorneys then explain that if the jury finds him guilty at the first phase of the capital trial they will then determine whether he will be sentenced to death or life in prison. This second phase is known as:

A)death phase
B)guilt/innocence phase
C)execution phase
D)punishment phase

Question 36

Michael is on trial for 5 charges of first degree murder and the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty. Michael is 18 years old and is accused of killing his entire family, including his mother, step-father, and two younger sisters, in a drug induced fit. He also killed the police officer who responded to the house after the neighbor called 911. This is the first time Michael has been arrested.
What would be considered an aggravating factor in Michael's case?

A)Michael is 18.
B)This is Michael's first arrest.,
C)Michael killed a police officer on active duty.
D)Michael was in a drug-induced state.

Question 37

Michael is on trial for 5 charges of first degree murder and the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty. Michael is 18 years old and is accused of killing his entire family, including his mother, step-father, and two younger sisters, in a drug induced fit. He also killed the police officer who responded to the house after the neighbor called 911. This is the first time Michael has been arrested.
At the end of Michael's trial the jury finds him guilty of first degree murder. The prosecution must now establish that Michael should be executed. They must establish that ________________ causes exceed ______________ causes.

A)aggravating; mitigating
B)mitigating; aggravating
C)aggravating; militating
D)militating, aggravating

Question 38

Michael is on trial for 5 charges of first degree murder and the prosecutor is seeking the death penalty. Michael is 18 years old and is accused of killing his entire family, including his mother, step-father, and two younger sisters, in a drug induced fit. He also killed the police officer who responded to the house after the neighbor called 911. This is the first time Michael has been arrested.
Michael asks his attorneys how long it will be before he is executed if he is found guilty. They explain to him that the review process takes at least:

A)one month
B)six months
C)3 years
D)10 years

Question 39

According to the U.S. Supreme Court, the actual insertion of the intravenous catheter must be made by a person who has at least:

A)10 years of professional experience
B)25 years of professional experience
C)1 year of professional experience
D)3 months of professional experience

Question 40

Which of the following is the reason a majority of death penalty convictions have been overturned?

A)incompetent defense counsel
B)suppression of exculpatory evidence
C)false confessions
D)all of these

Question 41

The United States is one of the few nations that has executed juvenile offenders.

Question 42

Inmates on death row are not allowed to have visitors.

Question 43

The United States has never executed a mentally ill person.

Question 44

Jerry is an inmate on death-row. He has been there for 15 years. He was sentenced to death row when he was 19 years old. At first he had a difficult time adjusting to death row but now he has come to accept his fate. He was just notified that his death warrant was signed by the governor. He will be moved to his death watch cell later that evening.
What is the predominant method of execution in which Jerry will most likely be executed?

A)firing squad
B)hanging
C)lethal injection
D)stoning

Question 45

Stanford v. Kentucky upheld the practice of removing jurors who are opposed to the death penalty.

Question 46

Jerry is an inmate on death-row. He has been there for 15 years. He was sentenced to death row when he was 19 years old. At first he had a difficult time adjusting to death row but now he has come to accept his fate. He was just notified that his death warrant was signed by the governor. He will be moved to his death watch cell later that evening.
Who will be responsible for carrying out Jerry's execution?

A)death team
B)execution team
C)terror team
D)terror squad

Question 47

The warden examines the body at the time of execution and pronounces death.

Question 48

Most states rely on lethal injection as their method of execution.

Question 49

The death penalty is used in every state in the United States.

Question 50

The majority of the American public supports the death penalty.

Question 51

The value of the death penalty remains a topic of considerable debate.

Question 52

Jerry is an inmate on death-row. He has been there for 15 years. He was sentenced to death row when he was 19 years old. At first he had a difficult time adjusting to death row but now he has come to accept his fate. He was just notified that his death warrant was signed by the governor. He will be moved to his death watch cell later that evening.
Jerry's lawyers have always contended that he was mentally ill and suffered from schizophrenia. While in prison he was on medication to control his symptoms of schizophrenia. His lawyers filed a last minute appeal that he should not be executed because he is on medication. What case ruled on the morality of treating a person's mental illness so that they can be executed?

A)Ford v. Wainwright
B)Furman v. Georgia
C)Atkins v. Virginia
D)The Supreme Court has not directly addressed this issue.

Question 53

The electric chair is the most common method used for executions.

Question 54

Challenges to the legitimacy of capital punishment have built their case against the death penalty by the ambiguous language of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.

Question 55

Jerry is an inmate on death-row. He has been there for 15 years. He was sentenced to death row when he was 19 years old. At first he had a difficult time adjusting to death row but now he has come to accept his fate. He was just notified that his death warrant was signed by the governor. He will be moved to his death watch cell later that evening.
Jerry was 19 when he was sentenced to die. His lawyers made the argument that he was too young to be sentenced to die. Which case decided that individuals who are 18 and older can be sentenced to die?

A)Atkins v. Virginia
B)Roper v. Simmons
C)Thompson v. Oklahoma
D)Witherspoon v. Illinois

Question 56

The review process can take 10 or more years from conviction to execution.

Question 57

There is much debate as to whether capital punishment is a deterrent to crime.

Question 58

Abolitionist make the argument that the death penalty is several times more expensive than confining an inmate for the duration of his or her life.

Question 59

Jerry is an inmate on death-row. He has been there for 15 years. He was sentenced to death row when he was 19 years old. At first he had a difficult time adjusting to death row but now he has come to accept his fate. He was just notified that his death warrant was signed by the governor. He will be moved to his death watch cell later that evening.
Jerry is schedule for execution in 48 hours. What is this period of time before his execution known as?

A)deathwatch
B)execution watch
C)electrocution watch
D)injection watch

Question 60

Abolitionists argue that the death penalty is used in a racist fashion and violates constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection.

Question 61

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in ___________________________that juveniles under the age of 16 at the time of the crime court not be executed.

Question 62

Most Americans ____________________ the death penalty.

Question 63

_________________________was the U.S. Supreme Court decision that declared the death penalty constitutional if certain conditions are met.

Question 64

_________________________________ contends that humanitarian standards require that people with mental impairment should not be subjected to the death penalty.

Question 65

____________________ is the predominant method of execution and is used in 35 states and the federal government.

Question 66

Most death penalty appeals are first heard in the state court of ____________________.

Question 67

A _________________________________ means that any person opposed in concept to capital punishment is removed during jury selection (voir dire).

Question 68

_______________________ may convince many people that the use of the death penalty is just too risky.

Question 69

________________________ compares murder rates in states with the death penalty to the murder rates of a similar state that has abolished the death penalty.

Question 70

A method to limit appeals is to restrict the use of ____________________, which is where prisoners on death row argue that their detention as condemned persons is based on some error in the administration of the law.

Question 71

Does the Supreme Court allow the execution of juvenile inmates?

Question 72

In California, murder for profit, murder perpetrated by explosion, and murder of a police officer on active duty are all examples of _________________________.

Question 73

In ___________________________ the Supreme Court prohibited the state from executing persons with mental illness.

Question 74

The trend worldwide is to ____________________ the death penalty.

Question 75

Describe the state court appeals process in a death penalty case.

Question 76

The first phase of a capital trial is the ________________________phase where the jury determines whether the accused is guilty or not guilty of the capital offense for which he or she is being charged.

Question 77

What is the public opinion related to the death penalty?

Question 78

Why does the review process take 10 or more years from conviction to execution?

Question 79

Does the Supreme Court allow the execution of mentally impaired inmates?

Question 80

The 24-48 hours before the execution is known as ______________________.