How Much Do You Know About The US Death Penalty?

2.

In what year did the Supreme Court reinstate the death penalty?

1978
1976
1985
1990

Correct Answer

A. 1976

Explanation

In 1976 the Supreme Court recognized new death penalty statues written by a number of states that intended to prevent the arbitrary application of the death penalty, thus reinstating the practice. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty

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3.

How many people have been executed between 1976-2015?

1,004
906
1,398
384

Correct Answer

A. 1,398

Explanation

As of November 26, 2014, 1,392 people have been executed according to DeathPenaltyInfoCenter (DPIC)

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1

4.

Which was the first state to abolish the death penalty?

Mississippi
Vermont
Michigan
Illinois

Correct Answer

A. Michigan

Explanation

In 1846, Michigan became the first state to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except treason. Later, Rhode Island and Wisconsin abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

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5.

Who called capital punishment "the most premeditated of murders, to which no criminal's deed, however calculated it may be, can be compared?"

Victor Hugo, French poet, novelist, and dramatist
Albert Camus, Algerian-French philosopher and author
Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States
Desmond Tutu, South African bishop and social rights activist

Correct Answer

A. Albert Camus, Algerian-French philosopher and author

Explanation

Albert Camus said this, but Desmond Tuto and Victor Hugo also opposed the death penalty.

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6.

As of January 2015 how many people had been exonerated from death row?

101
75
39
150

Correct Answer

A. 150

Explanation

"The most recent exonerees are Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman on November 21, 2014" as of November 21, 2014, according to deathpenaltyinfo.org

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7.

The mentally ill can be executed in the United States.

True
False

Correct Answer

A. True

Explanation

Examples include: Andrew Brannan, diagnosed with PTSD, was executed Jan 13, 2015. John Ferguson was executed on August 5, 2013 in Florida. Garry Allen was executed in Oklahoma on November 6, 2012. Daniel Lee Bedford was executed in Ohio on May 17, 2011.

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2

8.

Which of the following states has abolished the death penalty?

Texas
Maryland
Oklahoma
California

Correct Answer

A. Maryland

Explanation

The 18 states are the following according to deathpenaltyinfo.org:
Alaska (1957)
Connecticut** (2012)
Hawaii (1957)
Illinois (2011)
Iowa (1965)
Maine (1887)
Maryland*** (2013)
Massachusetts (1984) Michigan (1846)
Minnesota (1911)
New Jersey (2007)
New Mexico* (2009)
New York (2007)#
North Dakota (1973)
Rhode Island (1984)^
Vermont (1964) West Virginia (1965)
Wisconsin (1853)

ALSO
Dist. of Columbia (1981)

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9.

What groups of countries still have the death penalty?

Columbia, United States, New Zealand
Ireland, Venezuela, United States
United States, China, Saudi Arabia
Spain, United States, Italy

Correct Answer

A. United States, China, Saudi Arabia

Explanation

The United States ranked fifth for the highest number of executions.

The U.S. takes a spot behind China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia for the most executions in the world last year, sitting ahead of Yemen and the Sudan. (according to Amnesty International)

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10.

The death penalty is a crime deterrent.

True
False

Correct Answer

A. False

Explanation

"We show that with the most minor tweaking of the [research] instruments, one can get estimates ranging from 429 lives saved per execution to 86 lives lost. These numbers are outside the bounds of credibility." (The Economists' Voice, April 2006).

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11.

Which public figure said the following: “I do not think that God approved the death penalty for any crime, rape and murdered included. Capital punishment is against the best judgment of modern criminology and, above all, against the highest expression of love in the nature of God.”

Pope John Paul II
Jean-Paul Sartre
Eleanor Roosevelt
Martin Luther King Jr

Correct Answer

A. Martin Luther King Jr

Explanation

Martin Luther King Jr is the correct answer because he was a prominent public figure who advocated for nonviolence and justice. His statement aligns with his beliefs in equality, compassion, and the sanctity of human life. He believed that capital punishment goes against the principles of love and forgiveness, and that it is not an effective solution to crime. This statement reflects his strong opposition to the death penalty and his commitment to promoting peace and justice.

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1

12.

Some states have laws keeping their lethal-injection drug suppliers and protocols secret.

True
False

Correct Answer

A. True

Explanation

Arizona, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia and Oklahoma all have lethal injection secrecy laws. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-s-henry/a-deadly-secret_b_5620238.html

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13.

How many innocent people are estimated to be on death row?

None
0.03% of total death row inmates
0.002% of total death row inmates
4% of total death row inmates

Correct Answer

A. 4% of total death row inmates

Explanation

"New research finds that almost four percent of U.S. capital punishment sentences are wrongful convictions, almost double the number of people set free, meaning around 120 of the roughly 3,000 inmates on death row in America are not guilty" as of April 2014, according to TIME

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14.

How many clemencies have been granted in the United States since 1976?

23
510
60
279

Correct Answer

A. 279

Explanation

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/clemency

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1

15.

The Supreme Court rules that death row inmates can challenge the use of lethal injection as a method of execution.

True
False

Correct Answer

A. True

Explanation

According to oyez.org: "Clarence Hill was sentenced to death in Florida, which ordinarily uses a three-drug combination for executions. Hill claimed that this particular form of lethal injection was unnecessarily and gratuitously painful, and that it therefore violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. However, Hill had previously filed for a federal writ of habeas corpus challenging his conviction, and the federal district court ruled that his new challenge was the practical equivalent of a second habeas corpus appeal. Successive habeas corpus appeals are not allowed under 28 U.S.C. 2244, and so the district court rejected Hill's petition. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision."

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16.

It is equally likely for an African American who killed a white person and a white person who killed another white person to recieve the death penalty.

True
False

Correct Answer

A. False

Explanation

Black people convicted of killing whites are more likely than other killers to receive a death sentence, and more likely to actually be executed. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/dthrow.htm

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17.

On average, in the state of Washington how much more does a death penalty case cost than a similar case where a death sentence is not sought?

$500,000
$1,000,000
$30,000
$75,000

Correct Answer

A. $1,000,000

Explanation

"A Seattle University study examining the costs of the death penalty in Washington found that each death penalty case cost an average of $1 million more than a similar case where the death penalty was not sought ($3.07 million, versus $2.01 million)." http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/6003

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18.

In what year did the Supreme Court rule that capital punishment was "cruel and unusual" and suspend the death penalty?

1980
1972
1946
1969

Correct Answer

A. 1972

Explanation

In 1972 the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty statue in Georgia, which gave the jury complete sentencing discretion, could result in arbitrary sentencing and was therefore "cruel and unusual" and in violation of the 8th amendment. The court commuted all existing death sentenecs and suspended the practice. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty

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How Much Do You Know About The US Death Penalty?

Which state has had the highest execution rate overall since 1976?

Quiz Preview

In what year did the Supreme Court reinstate the death penalty?

How many people have been executed between 1976-2015?

Which was the first state to abolish the death penalty?

Who called capital punishment "the most premeditated of murders, to which no criminal's deed, however calculated it may be, can be compared?"

As of January 2015 how many people had been exonerated from death row?

The mentally ill can be executed in the United States.

Which of the following states has abolished the death penalty?

What groups of countries still have the death penalty?

The death penalty is a crime deterrent.

Which public figure said the following: “I do not think that God approved the death penalty for any crime, rape and murdered included. Capital punishment is against the best judgment of modern criminology and, above all, against the highest expression of love in the nature of God.”

Some states have laws keeping their lethal-injection drug suppliers and protocols secret.

How many innocent people are estimated to be on death row?

How many clemencies have been granted in the United States since 1976?

The Supreme Court rules that death row inmates can challenge the use of lethal injection as a method of execution.

It is equally likely for an African American who killed a white person and a white person who killed another white person to recieve the death penalty.

On average, in the state of Washington how much more does a death penalty case cost than a similar case where a death sentence is not sought?

In what year did the Supreme Court rule that capital punishment was "cruel and unusual" and suspend the death penalty?