| In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled capital | | | | and citizens committed to abolishing the death |
| punishment was both cruel and unusual, especially | | | | penalty once and for all, insist racism is still too big |
| due to some states' "capricious and arbitrary" | | | | a priority of those deciding the lives of others. |
| ways of employing the death penalty. The Court | | | | Further, it also reiterates the many who were |
| ruled race placed too large a role in determining | | | | convicted and executed, only to be found |
| who lived or died. It didn't stop there, however. | | | | innocent later due to DNA or other evidence not |
| The Court recommended new legislation be | | | | available prior to the execution. Currently, nearly |
| instituted so that the death penalty might become | | | | 130 people across the country who were facing |
| constitutional again and went on to say legislation | | | | execution dates have been found innocent and |
| should directly address racial problems regarding | | | | not only taken off death row, but released from |
| capital punishment and that new guidelines should | | | | prison completely exonerated, thanks to those |
| be put into place. This, of course, wasn't what | | | | dedicated lawyers who worked tirelessly to |
| opponents of the death penalty wanted, but for | | | | ensure no more miscarriages of justice occur. Still, |
| many, it was a start. It also was a big advantage | | | | A. Harrison Barnes points out there are over |
| for criminal lawyers who found themselves with | | | | 3,300 prisoners who are on death row awaiting |
| limited options for defending their clients, says A. | | | | conviction. |
| Harrison Barnes, attorney and founder of Law | | | | It becomes difficult to reconcile those who |
| Crossing. | | | | adamantly insist the system is racist, especially |
| Then, in 1976, a substantial new study revealed | | | | since almost 45% of those currently on death |
| over 65% of Americans not only supported the | | | | row are white. African Americans follow with |
| death penalty, but wanted it made constitutional | | | | slightly less than 42% of the total death row |
| again. The Supreme Court heard the majority loud | | | | population, followed by Latinos (11.3%), Native |
| and clear and after having been satisfied of the | | | | Americans (1.10%) and Asian (1.10%). With so |
| changes it had strongly encouraged some four | | | | much crime in today's headlines, each story more |
| years earlier, the death penalty was once again | | | | evil than the one before, the odds of the death |
| deemed constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. | | | | penalty being deemed unconstitutional again in the |
| Interestingly, the first execution only a year later | | | | near future are practically nil. These statistics only |
| was commissioned via the firing squad. Gary | | | | reiterate the dedication of legal firms that |
| Gilmore, a Utah killer, faced the squad and in a | | | | specialize in death penalty cases all over the |
| split second, his life was over. Still, many groups, | | | | country. |
| including Death Penalty Focus, a group of lawyers | | | | |