Capital punishment is a controversial issue which sparks debate among organizations and individuals across the United States. Increasingly in the US, this form of punishment has been used rarely and traditionally only in cases involving murder with intent. Historically in the US, the methods of execution and the crimes subject to the death penalty have varied by jurisdiction, definition and technique. This newest edition of The Law of Capital Punishment in the Legal Almanac Series offers a history and overview of capital punishment in the United States, including its abolition in 1972, and subsequent reappearance in 1976. Margaret Jasper discusses which crimes constitute Capital Punishment, both at a state and federal level. Jasper also explores the statistical application of the death penalty according to characteristics such as age, gender, and race are also examined. Individuals form their opinions for and against capital punishment based on a number of factors which may include moral, practical, ethical and religious beliefs. The debate over the death penalty centers around many issues: whether it is morally correct to kill; whether the death penalty serves as a deterrent; whether it discriminates across racial, social, and economic classes; and whether mis- or improper conduct by authorities has led to the execution of innocent people. The complicated and often heated arguments have intensified over the years, and today, there remain strong views on both sides. In The Law of Capital Punishment, Jasper tackles these views and offers advice on legal representation, as well as qualifications of legal counsel. She provides readers with an introduction to this legal process and its effect on a community and its individual members, including statistical evidence, tables, and a current directory of death penalty abolitionist groups.