Cases and Materials on the Death Penalty

• Chapter introductions give context to the cases and to outline the issues to be explored • Principal cases are presented in relatively full form to show the development of legal argument • Includes short notes and problems designed to raise issues for discussion • Articles from other sources connect Supreme Court doctrines to the real world application of the death penalty • Text and empirical research of other scholars enhances students' knowledge of selected topics • Appendix contains relevant statutory material A comprehensive overview of federal constitutional law regarding the death penalty. The first part contains readings for discussion of the broad moral, social, political and constitutional questions surrounding capital punishment. The second part focuses on the basic requirements for a constitutional death penalty scheme. The third part looks more closely at specific issues that arise in litigating a capital case. The fourth part addresses what happens after a death verdict is reviewed in the state courts, federal habeas corpus review, clemency and execution. The final part of the book reconsiders the death penalty from both international and domestic perspectives.