Capital Punishment Quiz

Capital Punishment

• The state-sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime is called capital punishment.
• A sentence ordering that an offender be punished by death is called a death sentence.

Death Row

• A prisoner who has been sentenced to death and awaits execution is said to be on death row.

Etymology

• The term 'capital' in relation to capital punishment originates from the Latin word 'capitalis,' meaning 'regarding the head,' as it referred to beheading, a common method of execution in the past.

Crimes

• Crimes that are punishable by death are commonly known as capital crimes or capital offenses.
• Crimes punishable by death vary by jurisdiction, but often include murder, treason, and espionage.

Methods of Execution

• Electrocution, lethal injection, and hanging are common methods used for carrying out executions.
• The guillotine is NOT commonly used for carrying out executions.

Execution

• The act of carrying out a death sentence is called execution.

Death Row Inmates

• A prisoner who has been sentenced to death and awaits execution is called a death row inmate.