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Capital Punishment
The execution of a person by the state for a capital crime, typically first-degree murder accompanied by one or more aggravating circumstances. First codified during the 18th century BCE by King Hammurabi, the United States is one of the few industrialized nations that still use the death penalty. Globally, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States are responsible for nearly all executions. Thirty-six states in the United States employ the death penalty for capital crimes. Lethal injection is the most common method, followed by electrocution and the gas chamber. California has the most inmates on death row, while Texas executes the most prisoners annually. Proponents claim that the death penalty serves as a deterrent to murder, although extant research does not support this claim. ...