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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Problematic Nature Of Execution By Lethal Injection In The United States And People’S Republic Of China, Franchesca Fanucchi
The Problematic Nature Of Execution By Lethal Injection In The United States And People’S Republic Of China, Franchesca Fanucchi
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
The United States and the People’s Republic of China perceive the death penalty as a fundamental feature of the criminal justice system. Lethal injection procedures provide these countries with the humane disguise necessary to preserve capital punishment in an environment of evolving societal standards. However, this essay examines the highly problematic nature of execution by lethal injection due to numerous medical, procedural, and bureaucratic concerns often concealed from the public and press. The low-visibility nature of lethal injection in the United States and China has become troublesome, especially since it prevents public, academic, and medical evaluation on the procedure's humaneness …
Applications Of Forensic Evidence In Criminal Cases, Emily Wheeler
Applications Of Forensic Evidence In Criminal Cases, Emily Wheeler
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science
In 2003, Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney proposed a plan for an infallible death penalty that required irrefutable scientific evidence, effectively removing any doubt regarding potential innocence in death penalty cases. Forensic science encompasses many scientific disciplines including natural sciences and pattern analysis, but not all such areas experience equal amounts of general acceptance or influence in criminal cases. While DNA analysis and fingerprint identification using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) are both widely accepted forensic applications, recent events expose concerns regarding the authenticity of other disciplines such as hair and bite mark comparison. Before policymakers address the issue …