By Steven Reynolds, for Los Angeles Times

Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence. Following the American Revolution the Anglo-American common law was maintained in the United States, capital punishment with it.

The methods of execution and the crimes subject to the penalty vary by jurisdiction and have varied widely throughout time. Thirty-two jurisdictions have banned it by law, others have suspended its use, and others are trying to expand its applicability. There were 37 executions in the United States in 2008, the lowest number since 1994 (largely due to lethal injection litigation revolving around a now resolved constitutional question). There were 46 executions in 2010, 44 by lethal injection, one by electric chair (in Virginia), and one by firing squad (in Utah).

Capital punishment has often been a controversial social issue in the United States; while historically, a large majority of the American public has favored it in cases of murder, the extent of this support has varied over time, and there has long been strong opposition from some sectors of the population. While public support today is substantially lower than it was in the 1980s and '90s, it has been largely static over the past decade. A 2010 Gallup poll showed 64% of Americans favored it in cases of murder, while 29% opposed it.

Many prominent organizations and individuals participate in the capital punishment debate. Amnesty International and some religions oppose capital punishment on moral grounds, while the Innocence Project works to free wrongly convicted prisoners, including death row inmates, based on newly available DNA tests. Other groups, such as the Southern Baptists, law enforcement organizations, and some victims' rights groups support capital punishment.

Arguments for and against capital punishment are based on moral, practical, and religious grounds. Advocates of the death penalty argue that it deters crime, is a good tool for prosecutors (in plea bargaining for example), improves the community by eliminating recidivism by executed criminals, provides closure to surviving victims or loved ones, and is a just penalty for the crimes it punishes. Opponents argue that the death penalty is not an effective means of deterring crime, risks the execution of the innocent, is unnecessarily barbaric in nature, is levied disproportionately upon men, racial minorities, and the poor, cheapens human life, and puts a government on the same base moral level as those criminals involved in murder.

WHAT IS AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL?

Written By: Charity Delich

An international criminal tribunal is a special court set up to prosecute international crimes. Such international prosecutorial courts are often set up to prosecute crimes coming out of a particular situation, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Others, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), are general courts created to prosecute particular types of international crimes.

International criminal tribunals are created with the purpose of prosecuting cases to which national courts are unable to devote their own resources. These courts are typically created by way of treaty and the signing countries agree to recognize and enforce the rules of the court. Generally, international criminal tribunals are devoted to prosecuting various human rights crimes such as genocide.

US District Courts also deal with many issues of international law. These issues include trade agreements and intellectual property cases involving copyrights, patents, and trademarks. The courts are responsible for interpreting and enforcing not only US federal law, but also international agreements to which the US is a signatory. They are also responsible for imposing sanctions for violations of international copyright agreements, including the destruction of pirated materials.

In the private sector, law firms handle international business transactions in the areas of securities, real estate, and regulatory laws of foreign countries. Clients include investors, private individuals, and import-export companies. Law firms may also advise and represent foreign clients wishing to do business in the US on regulatory and contractual matters. The in-house legal departments of corporations advise the company and its employees in matters of international law. International law careers available in the US have their counterparts in other countries around the world.

Legal training is not necessary for all careers in international law. Many non-governmental and nonprofit organizations offer opportunities, particularly in the area of human rights, to work in the area of international law. For instance, Amnesty International utilizes researchers, policy-makers, and fundraisers to carry out its advocacy of human rights. Human Rights Watch employs researchers, advocates, administrative international justice associates, and other support staff. Some organizations offer internships to students interested in pursuing a career in international law.

For students exploring international law careers, law schools recommend specific core courses. These include international law, tax and corporate law, intellectual property, and commercial law. Law firm directories like Martindale-Hubbell and Hieros Gamos Worldwide Law Firms Directory offer listings of law firms that practice in the area of international law. The American Bar Association Section of International Law and Practice also contains resources on job opportunities on its website.

(The article is taken from http://www.wisegeek.com/)

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