Capital punishment in Utah

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/capital-punishment-in-utah

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the first post-moratorium execution?Gary Gilmore was executed by firing squad on January 17, 1977
2. What is the legal status?Capital punishment remains a legal penalty in the state of Utah
3. How did Utah start using the death penalty again?After the 1976 Supreme Court decision, Utah was the first state to carry out a death sentence. Gary Gilmore was executed in 1977 by firing squad.
4. What method of execution does Utah use?Utah uses a firing squad, which involves several shooters aiming at the condemned person. This method is very rare.

Capital punishment: The legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime.
Moratorium: A temporary suspension of activity, particularly a law or a legal process.
Gregg v. Georgia: A 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed states to reinstate the death penalty.
Aggravating factors: Circumstances of a crime that increase the severity of the offense and may warrant a harsher sentence.