Capital punishment has been a controversial topic regarding ethics throughout its existence. The issues of execution methods, reasonableness in the relationship between punishment and crime, who receives the death penalty, and innocence have been discussed and studied at length. Capital punishment is still an active form of “deterrence” in the United States for crimes considered the worst of the worst. In this article I will discuss the history of the death penalty. I will also disclose information on the dynamics of race, method and valid death penalty court cases. History: The origin of the death penalty in America comes mainly from the influence of Great Britain. Capital punishment was a common exercise in British culture, and the English brought the practice with them when they settled in America. The death penalty was used as punishment for a variety of crimes, ranging from murder to disobedience to one's mother or father. In 1612 the divine, moral and matrimonial laws were approved. These laws allowed the death penalty for minor crimes such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Native Americans. Executions were a public scene until the 1830s, but most were then moved inside prisons. However, there were some public executions (especially in the South and West) that were performed in public well into the 20th century. Laws and regulations regarding the death penalty differed from colony to colony (Death Penalty Information Center, 2011). Although capital punishment was common, there were critics of the practice. Some have questioned its morality and effectiveness as a crime deterrent. There were many abolitionists who supported the movement to eliminate the...... middle of paper ......nity, staff, a spiritual or religious advisor, the media, and state-selected witnesses (Lethal Injection Procedure , 2010). Innocent people end up on death row, some are exonerated and others die waiting for execution or scheduled death. Since 1973 there have been 139 exonerations (Innocenza Project, 2011). The criteria for exoneration is that they have been acquitted at a retrial, all charges have been dropped, or they have been granted an absolute pardon granted by the governor based on new evidence of innocence (Death Penalty Information Center, 2011) . Individuals on death row typically serve an average of 13 years before their exoneration. However, there are innocent people who continue to receive the death penalty. The number is difficult to pin down, but most cases where innocence persisted are often not examined after the individual's death..