Ruled Unconstitutional, but Still Popular:

Community Leaders Want to Keep Death Penalty,
Impose Moratorium Until DNA Evidence Can be Used

 

According to a just completed O’Neil Associates Valley Influentials Poll, a two-thirds majority of community and business leaders in the Valley want to keep the death penalty. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court found Arizona’s current sentencing system for capital punishment to be unconstitutional. Also, nearly all community influentials think death row inmates should be given DNA tests, and a clear majority would favor imposing a moratorium on executions until issues relating to DNA testing have been studied further.

Sixty-six percent (66%) feel we should keep the death penalty for certain crimes, 29% that it should be abolished, and 6% have no opinion. According to the director of the poll, Dr. Michael O’Neil, “These responses were collected immediately prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling against Arizona’s current sentencing system, so they represent the most recent ‘pure’ measurement possible; that is, one in which the opinions have not been skewed or exaggerated by the recent turn of events.”

Dr. O’Neil continued, “While we consistently find broad support of capital punishment in Arizona, it is interesting to note that support among community leaders, though still strong, is actually slightly lower than what we tend to find in the public at large in the state.”

 

A Hot-Button Issue

Capital punishment remains a divisive topic. While nearly all (92%) of those identifying themselves as conservatives want to keep the death penalty, only slightly more than one-third (38%) of liberals agree. Political moderates, as would be expected, are in between (66%). Gauged by respondents’ party registration, the differences in opinion remain considerable, though less striking: 80% of Republicans favor capital punishment, compared to 57% of Democrats and just 45% of those with other registrations. (These and all other subgroup percentages are calculated without “don’t know” responses).

 

DNA Testing of Death Row Inmates

Fully 88% of community leaders would support a requirement that death row inmates be given DNA tests to help determine if they are innocent or guilty. This is in response to the recent release in several states of prisoners whose DNA tests helped overturn their convictions. Only 6% oppose such a requirement, and another 6% are not sure.

The agreement is across the board. Conservatives, moderates, and liberals all support DNA testing nearly unanimously, as do Republicans, Democrats, and those registered otherwise.

Said Dr. O’Neil, “Because the death penalty is clearly the ultimate punishment in our justice system, the worst thing anyone can imagine is to impose it when we are not absolutely certain of someone’s guilt. It doesn’t matter if you are liberal or conservative—nobody wants to execute potentially innocent people. For many Arizonans, it appears that this need for certainty is even stronger than their demands for swift and decisive justice.”

 

Executions on Hold?

The wish for DNA testing translates into majority support of a moratorium on executions of current death-row inmates until we have more knowledge of issues relating to DNA testing. Sixty-one percent (61%) support a moratorium, while 25% oppose it. Many (15%), however, are not sure, indicating greater uncertainty about a moratorium than about DNA testing or the death penalty in general.

A majority of community leaders support a moratorium, regardless of party or ideology. The general trend in attitudes towards capital punishment holds, however: greater proportions of liberals (83%) and Democrats (82%) than of conservatives (58%) and Republicans (63%) favor a temporary discontinuation of executions.

“To some, perhaps, a moratorium on executions would be an admission that we have probably made mistakes in sentencing some people to death,” said Dr. O’Neil. “Conservatives, who generally support the death penalty, are less likely to want to see their support undermined by the introduction of doubt into the justice system.”


 

About the Poll.  The O’Neil Associates Valley Influentials Poll is a web-based survey that was sent to all members of Greater Phoenix Leadership, Valley Leadership, East Valley Partnership, and Westmarc. As such, this survey does not purport to be a random or representative sampling of the general population of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It would be difficult, however, to conceive of a more comprehensive representation from which to draw inferences about the opinions and sensibilities of business and community leaders than the combined membership of these organizations, although, inevitably, any definition of influentials is somewhat subjective. The persons surveyed are likely to exert disproportionate influence on and be an early indicator of community opinion by virtue of their position, community involvement, and political participation.

The O’Neil Associates Valley Influentials Poll was not sponsored or paid for by any outside organization. Four hundred eight participants completed the survey between June 13 and June 24, 2002, yielding a margin of error of ±4.5%. O’Neil Associates, Inc. is a Tempe-based public opinion research firm specializing in client-focused attitude and awareness studies for a wide variety of industries and organizations.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          (VIP002-2002-01)

FURTHER INFORMATION: Michael O'Neil, Ph.D., 480-967-4441

These results may be reported freely provided that they are identified as the “O’Neil Associates Valley Influentials Poll” including identification on any graphic material.

 

O’Neil Associates has tracked public opinion across the Valley, Arizona, and the Nation since 1981. To be healthy, public debate must be informed—this is why we gladly commit our resources to measuring opinions on the political and social issues people care about and talk about. O’Neil Associates, however, is much more than that. While the Valley Influentials Poll and Valley Monitor may be our most publicly visible activities, we do most of our work for private businesses and organizations as well as state and other public agencies. As a full-service research firm, we assist our clients with a broad range of research efforts to measure customer satisfaction, improve customer service, fine-tune public images, focus marketing campaigns, engineer products, increase market shares, strengthen employee relations, and plan, refine, and assess business strategies.

 

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