What is capital punishment?

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is an alternative legal punishment in New Jersey for certain crimes that are deemed “violent.” The most severe type of punishment is the death penalty. In New Jersey, the death penalty can be imposed on offenders who have been convicted of murder when there is proof beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant has committed the offense. This proof must include one or more of the following aggravating factors: intent to kill, murder during the commission of another serious offense, murder of multiple people, and murder for monetary gain. Under New Jersey’s capital punishment law, if the jury finds the defendant guilty of first-degree murder, then the court may impose the death penalty. If the jury does not decide in favor of the death penalty, the court will impose a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. The sentence of life imprisonment, however, will be subject to review after twenty-five years by the state’s Department of Corrections. In New Jersey, capital punishment is the harshest form of punishment and is reserved only for the most extreme cases. Those convicted of a capital offense have no chance of a reprieve and no possibility of parole. The death penalty may be carried out through lethal injection, electrocution, or the gas chamber; however, lethal injection is the only method currently used.

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What is capital punishment?

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