ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a number of participants involved in capital punishment cases and focuses on: law enforcement, courtroom, and corrections. It examines the co-victims' thoughts and insights, and, maybe most important, the impact capital punishment has on them. In general, a majority of law enforcement personnel have been zealous supporters of capital punishment, as the nature of the profession tends to appeal to individuals from blue collar, conservative backgrounds. Law enforcement personnel work closely with members of the courtroom group to bring perpetrators to justice. The courtroom attorneys, both the prosecutor and the defense, are the first members of the court to be involved in the death penalty process. Judges manage the trial to ensure that each capital defendant receives a fair trial. The chapter then discusses some of the issues that impact the judges with regard to emotional and psychological well-being, which can be impacted by the death penalty process.
