Adam Thurschwell, a respected academic and death penalty lawyer, draws upon continental theory and the Anglo-American jurisprudential tradition in order to deliver a critical survey of both the theoretical aspects of capital punishment and its actual administration. Pursuing an original political approach rather than taking a moral stance, his discussion compares the topics of sovereignty, power and legitimacy with moral desert or consequentialism and explores their impact on perceptions and practices of capital punishment. Covering micro-issues of legal doctrine and administrative practice, as well as arguments for and against abolition, this book is an invaluable resource for academics and students in law and political theory.

Author Biography

Adam Thurschwell is Associate Professor of Law at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Ohio. He was a civil rights litigator and a criminal defense attorney, and continues to be actively involved in the defense of federal capital cases.