Similarly, the Louisiana Law Review found that the odds of a death sentence in Louisiana were 97% higher for those whose victim was white in comparison with any other racial background.Īnother considerable reason why many people oppose the death penalty is because of the rate at which innocent people are sentenced to death. In a study by the University of Washington, it was discovered that jurors in Washington state are three times more likely to sentence a Black defendant to death than a white defendant for cases that are nearly identical. In cases of interracial murders, only 21 white defendants have been executed for the murder of Black victims, while 297 Black defendants have been executed for the murder of white victims, according to the DPIC, leading to an increased rate of inaccuracy and overall disparities between different races within the legal system. One point that has become of particular concern in recent years is the systemic racism pervading the U.S legal system. Citizens all across the country, and international human-rights organizations have begun to make the case against death penalty more widespread, leading to greater numbers of disapproval within the U.S, with the rates of approval of death penalty at a record low in 2020. Following the execution, social media exploded with outrage against the death penalty and brought to light numerous other cases of those still on death row awaiting execution, and speaking their mind on the reasons why the death penalty should be abolished.Īccording to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), the death penalty is currently legal in 28 states, and most of the executions occur in Florida, Illinois and Texas. President Trump did not grant Bernard a commutation and the execution proceeded as planned. I’m calling on to grant Brandon a commutation and allow him to live out his life sentence in prison.” Kardashian stated in a Tweet addressed to President Trump, “Having gotten to know Brandon, I am heartbroken about this execution. On top of that, many celebrities came forward to advocate for Bernard’s life, including Kim Kardashian and Alyssa Milano.

One of these prisoners was Bernard, who was sentenced to death after he was involved in a double homicide at the age of 18.Īhead of his state-sanctioned execution, Bernard’s case was heavily circulated through social media, as well as through different news outlets, such as CNN and the New York Times. 10, 2020.Īccording to BBC News, under the Trump Administration, a record high of 13 prisoners have been executed since July 2020. In recent years, the death penalty has become an increasingly controversial topic in the U.S., and many citizens have become more vocal following the death of federal inmate Brandon Bernard on Dec.

The use of capital punishment in the United States, otherwise known as death penalty, is the state-sanctioned execution of a federal or state criminal offender.

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