death penalty and terrorists

The New York Times has recently printed an article discussing the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, who is facing charges for the terrorist attacks on September 11. The final two witnesses to take the satnd on Wednesday greatly supported the charges that Moussaoui was facing. One witness was a senior aviation security official, and the other an FBI agent. Both told the jury that the attacks could have been prevented if Moussaoui had told police what he knew about AL Queda when he was arrested three week previously to the event. After Moussaoui's lawyer defends his client, the jury will have to make the difficult decision whether to have Moussaoui serve a life sentence or whether to put him to death.

The Death Penalty in America has existed ever since the formation of the first colonies. The first recorded execution in the coloies was in 1608. Captain George Kendall of Jamestown was executed for being a spanish spy. The Divine, Moral and Martial Laws were established in 1612 by Sir Thomas Dale, governor of Virginia. These laws provided the death penalty for even minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians. Like today, the laws of capital punishment varied from colony to colony, or today, state to state. Each colony had their own rules about whether or not to haver the death penalty and what crime must be committed for it to apply.