Costs are another argument in favor of the death penalty. Just the fact that this is a death penalty case will require a longer trial. Most defendants in a death case cannot afford a lawyer. There are two public defenders assigned to their trial. Taxpayers are the ones who end up paying for these defenders. Jury selection takes longer and is more expensive than a regular trial. There are expectations from a jury for the death penalty because it lasts longer than normal. In a death penalty case, you normally have a pretrial that is a little more complicated than a regular trial. In the pre-trial phase, forensic evidence and the mental and social history of the accused are presented. The actual process takes at least four times longer than a normal process. After the sentence, there is a series of appeals to which the defendant is entitled, and again at the expense of the taxpayer. Finally, for incarceration, the cost of solitary confinement and the additional need for security also incur additional costs. For a sentence of life without parole, the average cost would be about $34,200 per year for about 50 years. This, along with a trial, would amount to millions. Death penalty cases are more prominent in trials because of all the appeals and the longer process in general, but as time goes on, life without parole seems to come at a greater cost. (Spangenberg, 1989) It seems that the public has always supported the death penalty. In 1986, 71 percent favored the death penalty and 21 percent opposed it. There has been a gradual decline in favor, perhaps due to the fact that they have come to believe that putting someone to death may not be a deterrent to the crime committed. start. The appeals process can go as far as execution. (Banner, 2009) I have found that both sides have some truth in their arguments. Even if it seems to violate everything we stand for as Americans, how can we let criminals who chose to take their own lives simply sit in prison while we pay for them to live and breathe every day? It's a discussion that will continue as long as there is the death penalty. If there was a faster justice system that doled out punishments more quickly without someone having to wait years on death row to be executed, there might be more people who think about their actions before taking them. Criminals know that the system is flawed and that is why they take advantage of it whenever they can. If we treated convicted criminals just like they treated their victims, I think we would have less crime everywhere.