Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 78-06(E), Section: B
Adviser: Michael Fogel
Thesis (Psy.D.)--The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 2017
Includes bibliographical references
In the United States, capital sentencing was abolished in 1972 on the basis that it violated constitutional rights, but it was reinstated in 1976. Over the last decade, the death penalty has been reduced at the state level, with only 30 states implementing capital sentencing. Mitigating and aggravating factors pull significant weight on death penalty cases. Despite statutes about mitigating and aggravating factors, it is unclear how decisions are determined and upheld during the appeals process. This study examined Indiana's Capitally Sentenced inmates. In particular, it compared the effects of mitigating and aggravating factors on inmates who had their death sentences commuted to a lighter sentence to the effects of mitigating and aggravating factors of inmates who maintained their sentences of death. One major finding emerged from the current study. Criminal history, which is an aggravating factor, was significant and indicated that an offender who had a high presence of criminal history was more likely to be executed. The study concludes that the lines are not absolute and the process is subjective when evaluating mitigating and aggravating factors in capital cases which is helpful for capital defense attorneys and mitigation experts when constructing a defense or formulating strategies during appeals
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Mich. : ProQuest, 2017
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