The death penalty has been an extreme form of punishment known around the world since pre-birth of America.

America’s usage of the death penalty was heavily influenced by the british.

In the 1960s- the supreme court ruled captial murder as “cruel and unusual” under the 8th Amendment. This resulted in revisions being made in the late 1960s, and in 1968 two cases were heard by the Court, giving discretion to the pros­e­cu­tor and the jury in cap­i­tal cas­es. The first case was U.S. v. Jackson (390 U.S. 570) and the second case was  Witherspoon v. Illinois (391 U.S. 510). (Death penalty information center)

After the Furman V. Georgia case in 1972, the supreme court deemed the death penalty protocol at the time as unconstitutional. This led to Texas, as well as many other states, to revise their death penalty laws resulting in it being reinstated again in 1974.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice provided a list of crimes that result in capital murder, following the Texas Penal Code section 19.03:

• murder of a peace officer or fireman who is acting in the lawful discharge of an official duty and who the person knows is a peace officer or fireman;
• murder during the commission or attempted commission of kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, arson, obstruction or retaliation, or terroristic threat;
• murder for remuneration or promise of remuneration or employing another to commit murder for remuneration or promise of remuneration;
• murder during escape or attempted escape from a penal institution;
• murder, while incarcerated in a penal institution, of a correctional employee or with the intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a combination or in the profits of a combination;
• murder while incarcerated in a penal institution for a conviction of murder or capital murder;
• murder while incarcerated in a penal institution serving a life sentence or a 99-year sentence for a conviction of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, or aggravated robbery;
• murder of more than one person during the same criminal transaction or during different criminal transactions but the murders are committed pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct;
• murder of an individual under 10 years of age, or older than 10 years of age but younger than 15 years of age; or
• murder in retaliation for or on account of the service or status of the other person as a judge or justice of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, a court of appeals, a district court, a criminal district court, a constitutional county court, a statutory county court, a justice court, or a municipal court.

According to the TCADP, since 1973, 200 individuals who spent time on death row were found innocent and have been enoxerated. However, 18 of those individuals were fully convicted and executed. As of 2025, Texas has executed 583 people since 1982.

Over the last decade, Texas death penalty cases have decreased by a significant amount due to an increasing lack of support by the public.

The death penalty has always been an inconsistent and ineffective form of punishment.

The death penalty has been an extreme form of punishment known around the world since pre-birth of America.

America’s usage of the death penalty was heavily influenced by the british.

In the 1960s- the supreme court ruled captial murder as “cruel and unusual” under the 8th Amendment. This resulted in revisions being made in the late 1960s, and in 1968 two cases were heard by the Court, giving discretion to the pros­e­cu­tor and the jury in cap­i­tal cas­es. The first case was U.S. v. Jackson (390 U.S. 570) and the second case was  Witherspoon v. Illinois (391 U.S. 510). (Death penalty information center)

After the Furman V. Georgia case in 1972, the supreme court deemed the death penalty protocol at the time as unconstitutional. This led to Texas, as well as many other states, to revise their death penalty laws resulting in it being reinstated again in 1974.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice provided a list of crimes that result in capital murder, following the Texas Penal Code section 19.03:

• murder of a peace officer or fireman who is acting in the lawful discharge of an official duty and who the person knows is a peace officer or fireman;
• murder during the commission or attempted commission of kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, arson, obstruction or retaliation, or terroristic threat;
• murder for remuneration or promise of remuneration or employing another to commit murder for remuneration or promise of remuneration;
• murder during escape or attempted escape from a penal institution;
• murder, while incarcerated in a penal institution, of a correctional employee or with the intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a combination or in the profits of a combination;
• murder while incarcerated in a penal institution for a conviction of murder or capital murder;
• murder while incarcerated in a penal institution serving a life sentence or a 99-year sentence for a conviction of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, or aggravated robbery;
• murder of more than one person during the same criminal transaction or during different criminal transactions but the murders are committed pursuant to the same scheme or course of conduct;
• murder of an individual under 10 years of age, or older than 10 years of age but younger than 15 years of age; or
• murder in retaliation for or on account of the service or status of the other person as a judge or justice of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, a court of appeals, a district court, a criminal district court, a constitutional county court, a statutory county court, a justice court, or a municipal court.

According to the TCADP, since 1973, 200 individuals who spent time on death row were found innocent and have been enoxerated. However, 18 of those individuals were fully convicted and executed. As of 2025, Texas has executed 583 people since 1982.

Over the last decade, Texas death penalty cases have decreased by a significant amount due to an increasing lack of support by the public.

The death penalty has always been an inconsistent and ineffective form of punishment.