The theory 'a life for a life' is 'as old as civilization itself' (McCiellan 9). The development of civilizations established what we call justice today. Capital punishment, the execution of a criminal convicted of a crime, or the legal taking of the life of a criminal, can be divided into three categories: first, crimes against the person; second, crimes against property; and third, crimes which endanger the security of the nation (Horwitz 13). Capital punishment is still …showed first 75 words of 1669 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1669 total…et al. American Journey -The Quest for Liberty Since         1865. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1992. Horwitz, Elinor Lander. Capital Punishment, U.S.A. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott         Company, 1973. Landau, Elaine. Teens and the Death Penalty. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, Inc.,         1992. McCiellan, Grant S., ed. Capital Punishment. New York: The H. W. Wilson                  Company, 1970. Szumski, Bonnie, et al. The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. St. Paul:                  Greenhaven Press, 1986. Tuchnet, Mark. The Death Penalty. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1994.