the
death penalty is not racially biased
Source
Although there
are many people who feel that the death penalty is in fact racially biased,
there are just as many people who think otherwise.
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In a certain
study in North Carolina, 8% of multiple victim homicides involved black
victims.
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Murders involving
minority victims account for only 31% of that had a felony associated with
them.
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Having seen these
numbers, one could draw the conclusion that homicides involving white victims
are generally more aggravated than those involving minorities. Therefore
these crimes ae more deserving of the death penalty.
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Aggravating circumstances
are more present in white-victim homicides than any other murder.
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Only 3% of the
3,592 homicides in North Carolina between 1993 and 1997 involved a white
defendant and a non-white victim, while 46 percent involved nonwhite defendants
and victims.
-
Statistics benefiting
a racially biased argument are not representative of the crime because
the murderers are primarily nonwhites.
A recent Justice Department review of federal cases has found that there
is no racial biased evidence in capital punishment. The review was based
on a study of almost 900 death penalty cases. "Our analysis has confirmed
that black and Hispanic defendants were less likely at each stage of the
department's review process to be subjected to the death penalty than white
defendants." said Attorney General John Ashcroft on the matter. The study
showed that of 682 defendants charged with capital offenses between 1995
and 2000, 80% were minorities and 20% were white.
Source
Source : News and Observer May 3, 2001