the punishment of being killed that is used in some countries for very serious crimesthe abolition/return of the death penaltyThe two men are facing the death penalty.a crime which carries the death penaltyCollocationsCriminal justiceBreaking the lawbreak/violate/obey/uphold the lawbe investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraudbe arrested/(especially North American English)indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US English) felony chargesbe arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shopliftingbe accused of/be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/four counts of fraudface two charges of indecent assaultadmit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for something)deny the allegations/claims/chargesconfess to a crimegrant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bailThe legal processstand/await/bring somebody to/come to/be on trialtake somebody to/come to/settle something out of courtface/avoid/escape prosecutionseek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counselhold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trialsit on/influence/persuade/convince the jurysit/stand/appear/be put/place somebody in the dockplead guilty/not guilty to a crimebe called to/enter(British English) the witness boxtake/put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness standcall/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witnessgive/hear the evidence against/on behalf of somebodyraise/withdraw/overrule an objectionreach a unanimous/majority verdictreturn/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental deathconvict/acquit the defendant of the crimesecure a conviction/your acquittallodge/file an appealappeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdictSentencing and punishmentpass sentence on somebodycarry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentencereceive/be given the death penaltybe sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail)carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murderdo/serve time/ten yearsbe sent to/put somebody in/be released from jail/prisonbe/put somebody/spend X years on death rowbe granted/be denied/break (your) paroleCulturecapital punishmentCapital punishment is the legal killing of a person for a crime they have been proved in a court of law to have committed. In the US the death penalty is used in many states. In 1972 the Supreme Court decided that it was ‘cruel and unusual punishment’, which the Constitution does not allow, and it became illegal until 1976, when the Court changed its mind.Each state decides what methods of execution(= killing) will be used. This is usually a lethal injection(= an injection of a poisonous chemical) but other methods used include the electric chair(= a chair which sends a strong electric current through the prisoner's body), and, rarely, hanging, a firing squad(= a group of soldiers who shoot the prisoner), and the gas chamber(= a room that is filled with poisonous gas when the prisoner is inside).In the US the death penalty is passed on people found guilty of murder. Since 1976 over a thousand people have been executed. Most people who receive the death sentence appeal to higher courts, and the sentence may be changed. The legal system moves slowly, so that a long time passes between the sentence being given and the execution taking place. The result is that there are about 3 000 prisoners on death row, i.e. waiting to be executed. The state governor can give a stay of execution(= a delay so that the prisoner has time to appeal to another court) or a pardon. This can happen at any time until the execution takes place.Another reason why many death sentences are not carried out is that there is strong opposition to capital punishment. People argue that it is immoral and that if a mistake is made it cannot be put right. They also say that the death penalty does not prevent people from committing murder. Another strong argument is that more African Americans who are found guilty of murder are sentenced to death than other racial groups and this is unfair.In Britain the death penalty for murder was abolished(= ended) in 1965, but it could still in theory be passed on anyone found guilty of treason (= crimes against the state) until 1998. Some British people think that the death penalty should be brought back for crimes such as terrorism(= the use of violence for political aims) or the murder of a police officer, but Parliament has voted several times against this. In former times about 200 crimes were capital offences, punishable by hanging. The wooden gallows or gibbet on which criminals were hanged can still be seen in some places. Many criminals were hanged in public at Tyburn in London, and later at Newgate prison. Traitors(= people who betray their country) were hanged, drawn and quartered, i.e. hanged on the gallows, then taken down while still alive and their intestines cut out. Their heads were cut off and their bodies cut into four pieces.
