Index IntroductionHistory of capital punishmentForms of capital punishmentIntroductionThis essay is about one of the most controversial discussions known as capital punishment. This is a topic in which the writer believes does not have a positive effect on decreasing crime in the world. For almost three years now, the writer has cultivated a passion for criminal behavior in some of the crime cases that have led to capital punishment and wrongful executions. One of my favorite criminal cases in history is that of the Scottsboro Boys. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This case represents an incident in which five innocent African American men nearly faced execution after being accused and convicted of raping two white women on the back of a train in 1931. This case is one of the many reasons why I am against capital punishment because it can lead to the unjust death of innocent men and women without justified evidence and witnesses. The writer is also against capital punishment because a person might be wrongly convicted and put to death by a grand jury, while the real criminal might already be in prison on a lesser sentence or still out committing other crimes. will provide more information about capital punishment, its forms and why many consider it immoral. The writer will include a discussion of the types of crimes that can lead a person to face capital punishment, as well as "Does capital punishment have a deterrent effect on decreasing crime?" History of Capital Punishment Merriam Webster defines capital punishment as "the practice of killing people as punishment for serious crimes (“capital punishment”). Capital punishment was once considered a ceremony open to the public until the 19th century. Melusky and Pesto (2011 ) describe watching a criminal's execution as a "quasi-religious event in which the condemned man was expected to express his repentance and, in an early version of 'Scared Straight,' admonish the children brought to witness the execution ". show of not following his criminal path” (Melusky and Pesto:2). In the nineteenth century, many states had called for eliminating the death penalty. According to William S. McFeely, Michigan was the first state to abolish the penalty of death in 1846. Soon after, nine other states had also abolished the use of the death penalty as punishment until the end of World War I, when half of the nine states and some new states reinstated the death penalty. As of the summer of 2015, only thirty-one states use capital punishment, while nineteen of fifty states have abolished capital punishment according to the Death Penalty Information Center website. Unknowingly, capital punishment has existed since the era of Jesus Christ and Socrates stated by Manning and Rhoden-Trader in 2000. Readers who follow the story of Jesus Christ know that he was put to death because he believed himself to be "King of the Jews". As for those who study history, they know that Socrates was a deadly poison for corrupting young people with ideas. As time passed, more and more people found themselves facing capital punishment. Captain George Kendall became the first person to be executed for being a spy in 1605. Twenty-seven years later, Jane Champion became the first woman to be put to death. Years later, in Massachusetts, the first teenager was executed for having sexual intercourse with an animal. In June 1944, fourteen-year-old George Stinney became the youngest murderer executed after killing two white girls. Forms of Capital Punishment Ancient history viewed hangings as a primary form of capital punishment. A normal one.