The death penalty : constitutional issues, commentaries, and case briefs / Rolando V. del Carmen ... [et al.].

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The death penalty : past and present -- The foundation cases : Furman v. Georgia and Gregg v. Georgia -- Racial discrimination and the death penalty -- The mentally impaired and the death penalty -- Death penalty for juveniles -- Juries, jurors, and the death penalty -- The right to effective assistance of counsel and the death penalty -- Due process and the death penalty -- Aggravating and mitigating factors in death penalty cases -- Appeals, habeas corpus, and the death penalty -- Evolving standards of decency and the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment -- Other issues, trends, and the future of the death penalty.

Bringing together the major death penalty cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and the legal issues related to the death penalty, this text classifies the cases according to legal issues, provides commentary on the general case law, provides a chart of the cases discussed, and then presents the legal materials in an understandable, easy-to-digest case brief format. Each chapter includes an outline; briefs for cases that include facts, holding, reasoning and opinions; summary and conclusions; and internet resources.