Robert E. Crowe

In early 1925, when Judge Robert E. Crowe wrote his opinion of the death penalty, he was state's attorney for Cook County, Illinois. He had just been the prosecutor in the widely publicized trial of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two young men who were charged with the murder of a young boy. The first World War had not been over for long and America was beginning to focus again on its own growing problem of crime. In this viewpoint Crowe defends the American legal system and the necessity of ridding society of murderers in order to secure safety for its members and deter further murders.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why does the author believe that a murderer is a danger to all of society"
2. How does Crowe think...