UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - DALLAS Dr. Paul E.

Tracy
School of Social Sciences GR 1.126; 972-883-2040
ptracy@utdallas.edu
cjs_3320@yahoo.com

Crime and Justice Studies 3320

Homicide and Capital Punishment

Summer Session 2007

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The goals of this course are:

1. To provide students with a survey of the nature, extent, and distribution of criminal homicide, one of the most
egregious crimes in the Texas Penal Code. Topics will include: (a) definition of homicide; and (b) trends and
patterns of homicide; and

2. The course will also comprehensively examine, Capital Punishment as a criminal sanction. Special attention will
be devoted to whether the application of the death penalty is a fair, just, and effective punishment for homicide.
Topics will include: (a) Capital Punishment through history; (b) U.S. Supreme Court Decisions on Capital
Punishment; and (c) Contemporary problems with the application of Capital Punishment.

REQUIRED READING

1.Mark Costanzo, 1997

Just Revenge: Costs and Consequences of the Death Penalty. NY: St. Martin's Press. ISBN: 0-312-17945-6

2. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm

OTHER REQUIRED READING

United States Supreme Court decisions. Cases available in Cases Folder or use these links to get the cases:

1. http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/supreme.html 2. http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/

RECOMMENDED READING

1. Helen Prejean, 1993. Dead Man Walking. NY: Vintage Books, a division of Random House.
ISBN: 0-679-75131-9

2. Robert Johnson, 1998, Second Edition. Death Work: A study of the Modern Execution Process.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth / Thomson. ISBN: 0-534-52155-X
 Crime and Justice Studies 3320
Homicide and Capital Punishment
Summer 2007

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The course will operate as follows. There will be a weekly reading assignment shown on the course schedule.

I will always provide (via a document available in the Files Section of the course) an outline of the significant
details of each week’s reading assignment.

Note: Students will be expected to read all assignments prior to viewing the weekly outline. The outline is
provided to assist you in analyzing the weekly material AFTER you have completed the reading. The
outline is not a substitute for the readings; it is a supplement only.

GRADING

1. Required Assignments:
There are a total of four (4) writing assignments. These assignments will consist of approximately a 6-page paper
which will address an aspect of Homicide or Capital Punishment.

These assignments are spaced across the full weekly schedule of the course so that you will have ample time to
complete the assignments by the due date.

Please note that there are specific and detailed instructions for all of these assignments available in the Assignments
Section.

2. Extra Credit Assignments:

For students who desire additional course evaluation mechanisms, there are four (4) optional assignments. These
optional assignments can increase your final grade score by a maximum of 2.5 points each for a total of 10 points
for all four assignments.

Note: By doing all four assignments, and achieving the maximum score of 2.5 points on each assignment,
your final letter grade can be increased one full grade level (e.g., C+ to B+ or B- to A- etc.).

USEFUL LINKS

1. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/ Anti-Death Penalty

2. http://www.ncadp.org/ Anti-Death Penalty

3. http://www.aclu.org/DeathPenalty/DeathPenaltyMain.cfm Anti-Death Penalty

4. http://www.icadp.org/ Anti-Death Penalty (IL)

5. http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/ Pro-Death Penalty

Crime and Justice Studies 3320 Summer 2007 Homicide and Capital Punishment

SCHEDULE TOPIC READING

Week 1 May 16 Introduction TX Penal Code

Statutory Definitions of Homicide

Week 2 May 23 Homicide Counts & Trends BJS web site

Use this link: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/homtrnd.htm

Week 3 May 30 Capital Punishment: Historical Roots Costanzo: Ch. 1, 8

May 30 Assignment # 1 Due

Week 4 June 6 Capital Punishment: “Unconstitutional” Costanzo, Ch. 2

The Majority Opinions Furman V. Georgia;

Week 5 June 13 Capital Punishment: “Unconstitutional” Furman V. Georgia;

The Dissenting Opinions

Week 6 June 20 Capital Punishment: “Constitutional” Again Gregg v. Georgia;

June 20 Assignment #2 Due

Week 7 June 27 Capital Punishment: Fair & Humane? Costanzo: Ch. 3, 4

Week 8 July 4 Capital Punishment: Just & Effective Costanzo: Ch. 4, 6

Week 9 July 11 Capital Punishment: Texas Style TX Code of Criminal

Procedure
July 11 Assignment #3 Due

Week 10 July 18 Case Study-Harris County Parts 1 & 2

Week 11 July 25 Case Study-Harris County Parts 3 & 4

Week 12 August 1 Recent Court Rulings Atkins v. VA;

August1 Assignment # 4 Due Ring v. AZ;
Roper v. Simmons
August 3 Grades Due in Registrar=s Office