Punishment for Steve Chapman Essay Example

Regarding your request for my delving into the possible method of punishment for Steve Chapman, and in light of the evidence gathered so far, some possibilities have been put into consideration as expressed in this email. Firstly, it should be noted that there is watertight evidence against the defendant; robbery and homicide can be proven in a court of law. Secondly, any ruling should take into consideration the fact that the victim is a convicted felon with a history of violent crime.

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Notably, one of the most obvious options for such a crime, if the defendant is proven guilty is a death penalty. According to the facts collected by the police, the victim, Roberts, was shot in the head during a botched up robbery. The crime was conducted by Chapman; please not that I have followed the investigations keenly, been part of it and even offered advice to the team members like the police where necessary. Following the granting of the search warrant sometimes ago, we were able to unearth critical evidence that will be submitted before the court when the time comes.

In my opinion, therefore, a death sentence for the victim is fair under all costs. As explained, the defendant, in trying to rob off the victim, went on to shoot the victim in the head killing Roberts on the spot. To make matters worse, Chapman shows no remorse for the family of the victim. Additionally, he has been previously convicted of a felon, meaning he is a person who never learns. Through his actions, his behavior and the evidence gathered against him the suggestion is that Roberts should be handed a death sentence. Drawing from the case of Bobby Bostic as succinctly explained in the BBC by Amos (2018), showing no remorse is serious enough for the judge to make a harsh/seemingly harsh ruling against a person. Bobby never killed anyone but went on to be handed 241 years imprisonment (Amos, 2018). Considering that Roberts killed and is still remorseless, there is no better punishment than death.

Further, in consideration that the stated crime is a homicide that will be proven in the court through substantial evidence, the Federal laws of the land stipulate that it is a crime punishable by death. Almost, all states in the United States, save New York and New Mexico, admit that homicide is a first-degree murder crime that is punishable by death; the two states abolished death sentences in 2007 and 2009 respectively. In this light, I opine that the crime fits as first-degree murder, and therefore handing of a death sentence would be a fair option.

Besides, I note that there were credible aggravating factors leading to the killing of Roberts, by Chapman. In the determination of whether an offense is punishable by death, the aggravating factors to be considered include; death while committing another crime, previous felony conviction, previous conviction warranting a death sentence, and more others (18 U.S. Code 3592). In the case at hand, Chapman is guilty of the first two cases, meaning that a death sentence is legally warranted.

On another note, this case can still be decided on different angles. In consideration that the Chapman is a convicted felon, the case can be addressed on the grounds of felony murder. In such a case, there are various options that exist. In the first place, the crime has all elements of felony murder in that the connection between the act of violence (robbery) and the murder is apparent and supported by evidence. Arguably, since the sentence might qualify as a felony murder which might necessitate life imprisonment, Chapman is has been previously accused of other crimes before, making the chances of arguing for a lesser crime very slim. As such, I still hold on to my suggestion that the most plausible sentence for this case is death.

It is interesting to note whether a death sentence would be a lesson to others. A death sentence is chilling to anyone. Considering that there are many possible defendants, there is a likelihood that the death sentence might deter them from committing the same offense. In my opinion, however, this is a psychological point of view; they will be deterred by fear. Some people might argue that there is no evidence on the same (Donohue, 2015) but I wonder how feasible it is to gather data on potential homicides. It is almost impossible to have someone admit that they wanted to commit some felony only to be deterred by the possible sentence. As such, I would strongly hold on to the view that the conviction can prevent others who might have had the intent of committing similar crimes from going ahead.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I suppose that Chapman should be sentenced to death with no other choice. His crime was severe, punishable by death and supported by aggravating circumstances. In the same tune, by extending this punishment to the defendant, there is a high possibility that others who might have wanted to commit the same crime will have been scared off.

References

18 U.S. Code 3592

Amos, O. (2018). The teenager sentenced to 241 years in prison. BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43461521

Donohue, J. (2015). There's no evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent against crime. The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/theres-no-evidence-that-death-penalty-is-a-deterrent-against-crime-43227