In many ways, the 21st century is a model of ongoing enlightenment. For example, more and more people are coming to realize that taking a person’s life for alleged criminal behavior is something that requires careful thought. People are also starting to understand that many elements can complicate homicide and death penalty cases.
A person’s mental health, for instance, can play a significant role in their alleged involvement in serious crimes. Further, there is a widespread consensus that racial issues have influenced many cases in which defendants received the death penalty.
For a very long time, the state of Pennsylvania took an extremely harsh stance against crimes resulting in the death of another person. The death penalty was a common sentence handed down in such cases. Fortunately, lawmakers have made a few changes in recent decades.
Since 1976, only three individuals have been put to death in Pennsylvania for their alleged crimes. However, it is unwise to assume you can escape this harshest of penalties in homicide and death penalty cases. In other words, losing your right to continue existing is still possible in our otherwise fair state.
Our attorneys want to encourage anyone facing murder, homicide or other severe charges to seek legal guidance before the case goes to trial. This gives defendants and their lawyers as much time as possible in which to investigate the crime in question so that they can build a proper defense.
While execution remains a possible penalty in our state, defendants in murder and death penalty cases need to take swift action to protect their lives. We invite you to continue exploring the information on our website if you would like to learn more about these and other criminal defense issues.
