For your second essay you are to look through the news from the last couple of years and find a case of an execution, actually carried out, in which some special circumstances raise the question of whether this particular execution ought to have been performed. Note: this is not a question about your general views on the death penalty, though it is not irrelevant to that. You are to find a case in which some unusual circumstance was present, and in which the execution went forward anyway.
Begin by briefly describing the case (and providing appropriate footnotes), and identify what the moral or policy difficulty is. That is, explain why it could be argued that this particular execution shouldn't have taken place even if capital punishment is not always wrong.
All of this should be done quickly and efficiently. But in stating the difficulty, make sure you relate it to more general rationales for capital punishment, and explain why even if capital punishment in general is legitimate, this case might appear to violate reasonable principles governing capital punishment.
Next, you need to come to a balanced assessment of the case. If you think the execution was appropriate, you need to explain how the objection can be overcome. If you think it was not appropriate, you need to consider what a defender of this execution would say in response to your objection, and how you would rebut their defense. Finally, you should draw any consequences that you think this case has for the larger issue of capital punishment. Be careful not to overplay your hand at this point; don't draw conclusions that are more sweeping than your discussion can support. The essay is due Wednesday, June 24 (St. John's day, and my brother's birthday.) Send it, as before, to astairs@deans.umd.edu. Once again, send any other qustions, drafts, etc. to