The solemn sentence of death : capital punishment in Connecticut / Lawrence B. Goodheart.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Goodheart, Lawrence B., 1944-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Capital punishment--Connecticut--History.

Capital punishment.

Criminal justice, Administration of--Connecticut--History.

Criminal justice, Administration of.

History.

Connecticut.

Physical Description:

xii, 318 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press, [2011]

Summary:

This volume provides an in-depth chronological account of the development and application of capital punishment in Connecticut from 1636 to 2005. Goodheart (history, U. of Connecticut) structures his narrative across eight chapters, each dedicated to a specific time period and each offering an examination of the capital code, the criminal justice system, the demographic profile of executed persons, and broader cultural context. He describes how the number of crimes for which one could receive the death penalty was whittled down over time to capital murder and explores the paradox of the current death penalty policy in Connecticut, whereby a restrictive statute and a lengthy appeals process have worked in combination in recent decades to block executions unless the convict seeks death (as was the case with Michael Ross in 2005). Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Introduction: the paradox of capital punishment

Biblical retribution, 1636/1699

The emergence of Yankee justice, 1700/1772

The era of Newgate Prison, 1773/1827

The debate over capital punishment, 1828/1879

The menace of the criminal class, 1880/1929

The waning of executions, 1930/1960

An unofficial moratorium, 1961/2004

The execution of Michael Ross, 2005

Epilogue: an unworkable death penalty.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781558498471

1558498478

9781558498464

155849846X

OCLC:

635451817