Question 1

__________ directly addressed the issue of victim-based racial discrimination in the application of the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

McCleskey v. Kemp (1987) directly addressed the issue of victim-based racial discrimination in the application of the death penalty. The case involved a study by David Baldus that revealed racial disparities in the imposition of the death penalty in Georgia, suggesting that African-American defendants were more likely to receive the death penalty if the victim was white. However, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled that racial disparities in the application of the death penalty were constitutional as long as they could not be attributed to intentional discrimination by the state actors involved in the case.

Question 2

The __________ prohibits the destruction of DNA evidence in federal criminal cases while a defendant remains incarcerated.

Accepted Answer

The Innocence Protection Act prohibits the destruction of DNA evidence in federal criminal cases while a defendant remains incarcerated.

Question 3

In Gregg v.Georgia court noted that public opinion and ______ _______ were in favor of the death penalty.

Accepted Answer

The court noted that state legislators and public opinion were in favor of the death penalty.

Question 4

Cruel and unusual punishments are prohibited by the __________ Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.

Accepted Answer

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 5

__________ banned executing those with intellectual disabilities.

Accepted Answer

Atkins v. Virginia (2002) banned the execution of those with intellectual disabilities, establishing that the practice was unconstitutional as it constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 6

In ____ the Court took up the issue of lethal injection,ruling that Kentucky's 3-drug protocol for administering lethal injection did not amount to cruel and unusual punishment under the 8^th Amendment.

Accepted Answer

In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in Baze v. Rees that Kentucky's 3-drug protocol for lethal injection did not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 7

The U.S.House of Representatives responded to McCleskey v.Kemp by adding the __________ to the Omnibus Crime Bill of 1994.

Accepted Answer

McCleskey v. Kemp concerned racial discrimination in the administration of the death penalty. The U.S. House of Representatives responded by adding the Racial Justice Act to the Omnibus Crime Bill of 1994, which aimed to prevent racial discrimination in the application of the death penalty. The act allowed death row inmates to use statistical evidence to show that race was a significant factor in their sentencing or in the selection of jurors in their case. However, the act was repealed by the Georgia legislature in 2013.

Question 8

Researchers have raised questions about poll results concerning support for the death penalty,suggesting that such support is not absolute but depends on such things as the circumstances of the case,the character of the defendant,or:

Accepted Answer

The alternative punishments that are available are one of the factors that can influence support for the death penalty. This means that support for the death penalty may not be absolute and can vary depending on the options for punishment that are available. The educational background of the victim, the time of year the crime occurred, and the location of the crime are not likely to have a significant impact on support for the death penalty.

Question 9

In ____ the Court ruled that the execution of someone who is intellectually disabled is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

Accepted Answer

In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled in Atkins v. Virginia that executing individuals with intellectual disabilities violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 10

__________ affirmed the use of guided discretion in death penalty statutes.

Accepted Answer

In Gregg v. Georgia, the Supreme Court upheld the use of guided discretion in death penalty statutes. This means that the jury has some discretion in deciding whether to impose the death penalty, but that discretion is guided by specific criteria set out by the state legislature. This decision paved the way for many states to revise their death penalty laws and resume executions after a long hiatus.

Question 11

The death penalty may be used for an offender convicted of felony murder if the person:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The death penalty may be used for...

Question 12

The U.S.Supreme Court condemned "arbitrary and wanton jury discretion" in:

Accepted Answer

In Furman v. Georgia (1972), the US Supreme Court declared that the imposition of the death penalty under existing state laws constituted cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. The court condemned "arbitrary and wanton jury discretion" in the application of the death penalty.

Question 13

The collective cases of the Martinsville Seven are especially noteworthy because they were the first cases in which the defendants:

Accepted Answer

The Martinsville Seven cases are noteworthy because the defendants explicitly argued that the death penalty was administered in a racially discriminatory manner, highlighting racial bias in capital punishment.

Question 14

In_____ the Supreme Court banned execution of those who were under age 18 at the time of their crime.

Accepted Answer

In 2005, the Supreme Court banned the execution of those who were under age 18 at the time of their crime, in the case Roper v. Simmons.

Question 15

In 2003,the governor of __________ commuted the sentences of all of the state's death row inmates to life in prison because of his concerns for systemic error.

Accepted Answer

In 2003, the governor of Illinois, George Ryan, commuted the sentences of all 167 inmates on the state's death row to life in prison. This decision was made due to the Governor's concerns about flaws in the system that may have led to the wrongful conviction of innocent individuals.

Question 16

In 2005 the Court ruled ___ that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid the imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were younger than 18 when their crimes were committed.

Accepted Answer

The ruling was made by the Supreme Court in the case of Roper v. Simmons, with a vote of 5-4 in favor of forbidding the death penalty for offenders under the age of 18 at the time of their crime.

Question 17

In____ the Supreme Court banned imposing the death penalty on a defendant convicted of rape.

Accepted Answer

In Coker v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that imposing the death penalty on a defendant convicted of rape is unconstitutional as it violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. This decision overturned a Georgia law mandating the death penalty for rape convictions. The Court affirmed that the death penalty should be reserved for the most serious crimes, such as murder.

Question 18

The __________ provides funding to states to help defray the costs of post-conviction DNA testing.

Accepted Answer

The Innocence Protection Act, signed into law in 2004, provides funding to states to help cover the costs of post-conviction DNA testing. This act aims to prevent wrongful convictions and ensure that individuals who have been wrongfully convicted have access to the necessary evidence to prove their innocence.

Question 19

As a result of __________,the death penalty statutes in 39 states were invalidated.

Accepted Answer

Furman v. Georgia (1972) declared the death penalty statutes in 39 states invalid because they were applied in a "cruel and unusual" way, violating the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

Question 20

Although the exoneration of death row inmates and subsequent decisions to impose a moratorium on executions,led to a decline in support,in October 2009,__ percent of Americans still reported that they favored the death penalty for people convicted of murder.

Accepted Answer

In October 2009, 65 percent of Americans still reported that they favored the death penalty for people convicted of murder, despite the exoneration of death row inmates and decisions to impose a moratorium on executions.

Quiz 8: The Color of Death: Race and the Death Penalty

__________ directly addressed the issue of victim-based racial discrimination in the application of the death penalty.

The __________ prohibits the destruction of DNA evidence in federal criminal cases while a defendant remains incarcerated.

In Gregg v.Georgia court noted that public opinion and _ were in favor of the death penalty.

Cruel and unusual punishments are prohibited by the __________ Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.

__________ banned executing those with intellectual disabilities.

In ____ the Court took up the issue of lethal injection,ruling that Kentucky's 3-drug protocol for administering lethal injection did not amount to cruel and unusual punishment under the 8^th Amendment.

The U.S.House of Representatives responded to McCleskey v.Kemp by adding the __________ to the Omnibus Crime Bill of 1994.

Researchers have raised questions about poll results concerning support for the death penalty,suggesting that such support is not absolute but depends on such things as the circumstances of the case,the character of the defendant,or:

In ____ the Court ruled that the execution of someone who is intellectually disabled is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

__________ affirmed the use of guided discretion in death penalty statutes.

The death penalty may be used for an offender convicted of felony murder if the person:

The U.S.Supreme Court condemned "arbitrary and wanton jury discretion" in:

The collective cases of the Martinsville Seven are especially noteworthy because they were the first cases in which the defendants:

In_____ the Supreme Court banned execution of those who were under age 18 at the time of their crime.

In 2003,the governor of __________ commuted the sentences of all of the state's death row inmates to life in prison because of his concerns for systemic error.

In 2005 the Court ruled ___ that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid the imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were younger than 18 when their crimes were committed.

In____ the Supreme Court banned imposing the death penalty on a defendant convicted of rape.

The __________ provides funding to states to help defray the costs of post-conviction DNA testing.

As a result of __________,the death penalty statutes in 39 states were invalidated.

Although the exoneration of death row inmates and subsequent decisions to impose a moratorium on executions,led to a decline in support,in October 2009,__ percent of Americans still reported that they favored the death penalty for people convicted of murder.

Quiz 8: The Color of Death: Race and the Death Penalty

__________ directly addressed the issue of victim-based racial discrimination in the application of the death penalty.

The __________ prohibits the destruction of DNA evidence in federal criminal cases while a defendant remains incarcerated.

In Gregg v.Georgia court noted that public opinion and ______ _______ were in favor of the death penalty.

Cruel and unusual punishments are prohibited by the __________ Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.

__________ banned executing those with intellectual disabilities.

In ____ the Court took up the issue of lethal injection,ruling that Kentucky's 3-drug protocol for administering lethal injection did not amount to cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment.

The U.S.House of Representatives responded to McCleskey v.Kemp by adding the __________ to the Omnibus Crime Bill of 1994.

Researchers have raised questions about poll results concerning support for the death penalty,suggesting that such support is not absolute but depends on such things as the circumstances of the case,the character of the defendant,or:

In ____ the Court ruled that the execution of someone who is intellectually disabled is cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

__________ affirmed the use of guided discretion in death penalty statutes.

The death penalty may be used for an offender convicted of felony murder if the person:

The U.S.Supreme Court condemned "arbitrary and wanton jury discretion" in:

The collective cases of the Martinsville Seven are especially noteworthy because they were the first cases in which the defendants:

In_____ the Supreme Court banned execution of those who were under age 18 at the time of their crime.

In 2003,the governor of __________ commuted the sentences of all of the state's death row inmates to life in prison because of his concerns for systemic error.

In 2005 the Court ruled ___ that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid the imposition of the death penalty on offenders who were younger than 18 when their crimes were committed.

In____ the Supreme Court banned imposing the death penalty on a defendant convicted of rape.

The __________ provides funding to states to help defray the costs of post-conviction DNA testing.

As a result of __________,the death penalty statutes in 39 states were invalidated.

Although the exoneration of death row inmates and subsequent decisions to impose a moratorium on executions,led to a decline in support,in October 2009,__ percent of Americans still reported that they favored the death penalty for people convicted of murder.

In Gregg v.Georgia court noted that public opinion and _ were in favor of the death penalty.

In ____ the Court took up the issue of lethal injection,ruling that Kentucky's 3-drug protocol for administering lethal injection did not amount to cruel and unusual punishment under the 8^th Amendment.