Essay on Furman v. Georgia The Death Penalty Case

Death penalty, or also known as capital punishment, today is still used. Many oppose many support it. In the case Furman v. Georgia, the death penalty was abolished. But not fully, because it is still used today. In 1991 more than 2,600 people awaited execution but only fourteen were executed. Capital punishment should be legal, and should be used more often. In the case Furman v. Georgia, Furman committed crimes, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. â€Å"William Henry Furman, a twenty-six-year-old black man with a sixth grade education, was not what most people called a â€Å"bad† man,† (Herda 7). Furman was just laid off of his job and was struggling to find work. But there was none. Every job did not pay enough, or was a short term†¦show more content†¦But then, several days later one of the psychiatrists revised their medical opinion. Because he was not insane, the case would go on. The state of Georgia charged him with murder and issued the death penalty. This was because Georgia state law stated that any form of murder issued with a felony was punishable by death. Furman’s attorneys knew that the murder had been accidental and that Furman was genuinely sorry for the action he had caused, so they decide there was only one other path out: The Supreme Court. Furman’s attorney had to sub mit an argument and so did the lower court. Both were nervous, because they knew this case would have a huge impact on capital punishment through the years. †¦[T]he American people no longer felt that the death penalty was suited to human dignity, they said. Most importantly, however, the attorneys argued that poor people and people of color routinely received the death penalty for capital offenses, at a rate vastly disproportionate to that of whites, particularly affluent whites, accused of similar offenses. This was a clear violation of the 14th Amendments guarantee of equal protection of the laws,† (Supreme Court Cases: Furman v. Georgia).† This was Furman’s attorney’s argument. They felt that the decision of the Georgia court was unconstitutional and was discriminating Furman, an African-American. Furman’s attorney, Clarence Mayfield, preparedShow MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty1347 Words   |  6 PagesThe concept of the death penalty has been around since the 1700’s B.C. where it was first defined in the Code of Hammurabi (Historical Timeline). Since then, the death penalty has morphed and changed. In 1608 A.D., Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia was hanged for treason (Historical Timeline). This became the first execution recorded in America (Historical Timeline). After this moment in history, people have debated the concept of the death and if it is truly constitutionalRead MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment1004 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Furman murdered William Micke on August 11, 1967 in Savannah, Georgia. Furman was unemployed, and only had a sixth grade education. 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