“The country’s long been divided over whether to have it. But that only led to even more difficult questions. How do you do it? How do you implement it? And can you do it fairly and rationally?” More →

May 9, 2014

by Elaine de Leon The ancient Roman Colosseum, known historically for violent gladiator battles, animal combat, and public executions, has become a symbol for international protest against capital punishment. Over the past decade, every time a convicted person receives a … More →

April 24, 2009

Right now, 36 states permit capital punishment for murder. Should that penalty be extended to those who rape children? More →

June 13, 2008

RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY previews upcoming U.S Supreme Court cases. At issue are recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, state funding for religious education, and the case of Death Row inmate Delma Banks. More →

October 3, 2003

BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: As the U.S. continues to debate the rightness or wrongness of capital punishment, we look at two aspects of the issue. Next week, Huntsville, Texas — where the state prison system carries out more executions than any … More →

May 9, 2003

BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: In this country, debate about the death penalty has been revived and sharpened, on all sides, by last weekend’s dramatic actions in Illinois. The outgoing Republican governor, George Ryan, pardoned four death row inmates and commuted the … More →

January 17, 2003

BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is generating controversy on another issue before the court on the death penalty. Last week, Scalia criticized the Roman Catholic Church’s stand against capital punishment. Kim Lawton has the story. KIM … More →

February 1, 2002

BOB ABERNETHEY: When may a lawyer reveal what a client tells him in confidence? The American Bar Association recently made the rule less restrictive. It permits — but does not require — lawyers to disclose confidences to prevent, quote, “reasonably … More →

July 27, 2001