Whether the capital sentencing statute in Texas provides a vehicle for jurors to give effect to mitigation evidence has been a critical factor when the United States Supreme Court has sought to determine its constitutionality. Unlike the majority of other American jurisdictions which maintain capital punishment as a penalty, Texas utilizes a particularly unique scheme which places an assessment of the defendant’s dangerousness at the center of the sentencing decision. Using data gathered from personally conducted interviews with forty-six former capital jurors and trial transcripts from each trial in which they served, this thesis demonstrates how the current sentencing scheme in Texas fails to provide jurors with an adequate vehicle for considering mitigation evidence. Beginning with an analysis of the process of jury selection this study examines the various ways in which the sentencing scheme is explained to potential jurors by the judge, prosecution, and defense attorneys. Of crucial importance is how the mitigation instruction is reconstituted by trial judges and prosecutors into an extension of the defendant’s potential future dangerousness. Emerging from this analysis is the central role that the interpretation of the sentencing statute by legal actors play in determining how jurors view the evidence presented throughout the trial, as well as what factors they believe they are legally permitted to consider in sentencing. The findings of this study strongly suggest that the focus of the sentencing scheme on the defendant’s dangerousness inhibits jurors’ ability to view mitigation evidence unrelated to the crime as mitigating. Thus, the Texas capital sentencing statute in its application appears to prevent jurors from giving effect to personal mitigation, an essential element of a constitutionally satisfactory death penalty statute.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:22:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Patricia Vanzolini Figueiredo Nemesis.pdf: 1169360 bytes, checksum: 721855a6ebaaf930050d2bd538f4a7e3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-19 / The included study is intended to investigate the functions and purposes of the penalty from a legal and ethnographic perspective, with support , especially in the work of René Girard. The work begins with a conceptual distinction between function and purpose that will determine the plans in place that will develop the arguments used. Passes to the critical analysis of preventive theories, aiming to demystify the varied discourses based on prevention. Next, we analyze two possible alternatives to preventive theories, namely, the retributive theories and the Ferrajoli theory, also pointing out its flaws and inconsistencies. From that deconstruction can spend to build a grounded in archaeological research on the origins of violence and profiles, as well as strategies designed to manage it proposed. In this step, it first explores the genealogy of violence and the outbreak of mimetic crisis. Then preventive methods (rigidity of customs, war, sacrifice) and curative (private revenge and judicial pen) management of violence, culminating with the statement that the function of the sentence coincides with the completion of vengeance. In the last chapter, it is stated, connected with the function, the purpose of punishment, which is the realization of revenge avoiding the outbreak of mimetic crisis and is outlined in general terms how this purpose can be achieved / O incluso estudo tem por intenção investigar as funções e finalidades da pena a partir de uma perspectiva jurídica e etnográfica, com apoio, sobretudo, na obra de René Girard. O trabalho inicia-se com uma distinção conceitual entre função e finalidade, que será determinante para situar os planos em que se desenvolverão os argumentos utilizados. Passa-se à análise crítica das teorias preventivas, com o objetivo desmistificar os variados discursos baseados na prevenção. A seguir, analisam-se duas possíveis alternativas às teorias preventivas, quais sejam, as teorias retributivas e a teoria garantista de concebida Ferrajoli, apontando-se também seus defeitos e inconsistências. A partir dessa desconstrução é possível passar a construir uma proposta alicerçada na investigação arqueológica sobre as origens e perfis da violência, bem como das estratégias concebidas para geri-la. Nesse passo, exploram-se primeiro, a genealogia da violência e a eclosão da crise mimética. Depois, os métodos preventivos (rigidez dos costumes, guerra, sacrifício) e curativos (vingança privada e pena judicial) de gestão da violência, culminando-se com a demonstração de que a função da pena coincide com a realização da vingança. No último capítulo, estabelece-se, conectada com a função, a finalidade da pena, que é a realização da vingança evitando-se a deflagração da crise mimética e delineia-se em traços gerais como essa finalidade pode ser alcançada

Orientador: Luís Antônio Francisco de Souza / Banca: Rivail Carvalho Rolim / Banca: Marcos César Alvarez / Resumo: A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo investigar os principais desdobramentos ocorridos na área da punição, no período que vai de 1975 até 2001, tendo como base as análises recentes elaboradas a partir das experiências penais dos EUA, Inglaterra, França e Brasil. O período analisado tem sido apontado como um momento de mudanças estruturais intensas, que afetaram todas as esferas da vida social e que, por sua vez, geraram transformações dramáticas no funcionamento dos sistemas punitivos das sociedades contemporâneas. Os destaques indicam que há um aumento generalizado no número de pessoas encarceradas no mundo e de que os conteúdos e as formas punitivas de controle das populações têm se tornado cada vez mais intensos. Diante disto, há um consenso de que, ao contrário de funcionar como uma medida capaz de conter ou restabelecer a fragmentação crescente sob a qual estão submetidas as sociedades, a punição tem se transformado numa dimensão extremamente problemática da dinâmica social, por conta de inúmeros problemas ligados ao seu funcionamento, como a sua violência arraigada e sua incidência seletiva. Com base nestas ocorrências, esta pesquisa tem a intenção de fazer uma investigação teórica destes problemas, visando articular melhor a compreensão destes fenômenos punitivos, buscando extrair da análise um campo de problematizações para o contexto das políticas públicas brasileiras. / Abstract: This research has as objective investigate the main developments occurred in the field of punishment, in the period that goes of 1975 up to 2001, having as base the recent elaborated analyses from the criminal experiences of U.S.A., England, France and Brazil. The analyzed period has been pointed as a moment of intense structural changes, that had affected all the spheres of the social life and that, in its turn, had generated drastic transformations in the functioning of the punitive systems of the societies contemporaries. The features indicate that it has an increase generalized in the number of people jailed in the world and that the contents of punitive forms of control of populations have become more intense than ever. By side of this, it has a consensus of that, in contrast to functioning as a measure capable to contain or to reestablish the increasing spalling under which the societies are submitted, the punishment has transformed into an extremely problematic dimension of the social dynamics, for account of innumerable problems on its functioning, as its intrinsic violence and its selective incidence. With base in these occurrences, this research has the intention to make a theoretical inquiry of these problems, being aimed to better articulate the understanding of these punitive phenomena, searching to extract of the analysis a field of inquiry for the context of the Brazilian public policy. / Mestre

Given that computer hacking cause huge loss among firms, it¡¦s necessary to understand how individuals engage to commit it. Most of previous research on computer hacking, discuss the reasons by motivation, deterrence theory, moral intensity and social learning theory. However, those perspectives were adopted in researches independently. Thus, there is a need for research to combine these perspectives to create a completed, empirical model to explain the hacker¡¦s intention. Based on motivation theory, moral intensity, deterrence theory, and social learning theory, an empirical study of the intention of computer hacking was conducted. Moreover, we found the key factor ignored in the past, severity level of computer hacking, which will change the way of other factors affecting the intention. Data collected from 473 individuals in Taiwan confirmed our hypotheses and tested against the research model. The results support the proposed model in predicting intention to commit computer hacking. This study demonstrated that intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, moral intensity, punishment certainty, punishment severity, and social influence were key factors that resulted in intention of computer hacking. In addition, severity level of computer hacking was a strongly significant moderator in all factors to intention. Lastly, several implications of information security management and direction to reduce computer hacking rate for practices are discussed.

This thesis examines the concept of civil disobedience, and the role the latter can play in a democratic society. It aims to offer a moral justification for civil disobedience that departs from consequentialist or deontological considerations, and focuses instead on virtue ethics. By drawing attention to the notion of civic virtues, the thesis suggests that, under some circumstances, an act of civil disobedience is the very act displaying a virtuous disposition in the citizen who disobeys. Such disposition is interpreted in light of a duty each individual has to respect her fellow citizens as autonomous agents. This grounds, in turn, a moral obligation to respect the law. The central claim of the thesis is that the obligation towards the law is fulfilled not only through acts of obedience but also, under different circumstances, through acts of disobedience. The status of non-violence as a necessary component of civil disobedience is questioned, and it is argued that a degree of force or violence may be permissible in civil disobedience, when it is compatible with the duty to respect others’ autonomy. Subsequently, the thesis offers an analysis of ‘reasonableness’ as a civic virtue, and by comparing three different approaches to the issue of reasonable disagreement among democratic citizens, it defends the deliberative approach as the most suited for treating fellow citizens as autonomous agents. The last two chapters focus on the importance, for an act of civil disobedience, of the agent’s willingness to accept the legal consequences of her law-breaking behaviour. It is argued that a civil disobedient has an obligation to face the prospect of being punished for the breach of the law. However, in considering the behaviour of a virtuous civil disobedient who appears at her criminal trial, it is also claimed that she should plead not guilty and aim to persuade her fellow citizens that she does not deserve to be punished, because what she did does not constitute a criminal wrong. In doing so, this thesis depicts civil disobedience not as a merely permissible form of behaviour, but as a morally praiseworthy conduct within a democratic community.

Uni,, Diss.--München, 2002.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-03-16Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:15:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 barros_ral_me_mar.pdf: 2461306 bytes, checksum: 9da727019298da4089759833a6a2bcdb (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo investigar os principais desdobramentos ocorridos na área da punição, no período que vai de 1975 até 2001, tendo como base as análises recentes elaboradas a partir das experiências penais dos EUA, Inglaterra, França e Brasil. O período analisado tem sido apontado como um momento de mudanças estruturais intensas, que afetaram todas as esferas da vida social e que, por sua vez, geraram transformações dramáticas no funcionamento dos sistemas punitivos das sociedades contemporâneas. Os destaques indicam que há um aumento generalizado no número de pessoas encarceradas no mundo e de que os conteúdos e as formas punitivas de controle das populações têm se tornado cada vez mais intensos. Diante disto, há um consenso de que, ao contrário de funcionar como uma medida capaz de conter ou restabelecer a fragmentação crescente sob a qual estão submetidas as sociedades, a punição tem se transformado numa dimensão extremamente problemática da dinâmica social, por conta de inúmeros problemas ligados ao seu funcionamento, como a sua violência arraigada e sua incidência seletiva. Com base nestas ocorrências, esta pesquisa tem a intenção de fazer uma investigação teórica destes problemas, visando articular melhor a compreensão destes fenômenos punitivos, buscando extrair da análise um campo de problematizações para o contexto das políticas públicas brasileiras. / This research has as objective investigate the main developments occurred in the field of punishment, in the period that goes of 1975 up to 2001, having as base the recent elaborated analyses from the criminal experiences of U.S.A., England, France and Brazil. The analyzed period has been pointed as a moment of intense structural changes, that had affected all the spheres of the social life and that, in its turn, had generated drastic transformations in the functioning of the punitive systems of the societies contemporaries. The features indicate that it has an increase generalized in the number of people jailed in the world and that the contents of punitive forms of control of populations have become more intense than ever. By side of this, it has a consensus of that, in contrast to functioning as a measure capable to contain or to reestablish the increasing spalling under which the societies are submitted, the punishment has transformed into an extremely problematic dimension of the social dynamics, for account of innumerable problems on its functioning, as its intrinsic violence and its selective incidence. With base in these occurrences, this research has the intention to make a theoretical inquiry of these problems, being aimed to better articulate the understanding of these punitive phenomena, searching to extract of the analysis a field of inquiry for the context of the Brazilian public policy.

Il existe un lien indéfectible entre l’impôt et la fraude fiscale. Étant donné que cette dernière peut causer un préjudice considérable au Trésor public et entraîner d’autres conséquences sérieuses, la lutte contre ce phénomène constitue depuis toujours une des préoccupations majeures du gouvernement pour tous les pays. En effet, la lutte contre la fraude fiscale est un sujet très étendu. De nombreux facteurs influent sur l’efficacité de cette lutte. Mais entre eux, la répression joue sans aucun doute un rôle essentiel, puisque la peur d’être pris et la peur d’être puni jouent un rôle non négligeable dans la propension à frauder le fisc. Ainsi, pour renforcer l’efficacité de la lutte contre ce phénomène illicite, il est nécessaire de faire une étude de sa répression. En Chine, depuis que le système économique s’est développé graduellement en passant de l’économie planifiée extrêmement centralisée à l’économie de marché, le phénomène de la fraude fiscale s’aggrave rapidement. Par conséquent, ces vingt dernières années, le gouvernement chinois durcit progressivement sa politique de lutte contre la fraude fiscale et le législateur chinois porte une attention plus particulière à la législation à cet égard. Beaucoup d’efforts ont été faits. Néanmoins, le système de répression de la fraude fiscale actuellement en vigueur en Chine présente encore des problèmes affectant l’efficacité de la lutte contre la fraude fiscale. À cet effet, il convient d’identifier les problèmes existants dans le système actuel et de voir s’il est possible de trouver des solutions permettant d’améliorer l’efficacité de la répression de la fraude fiscale en droit chinois / Since taxes were invented, there is always an attempt to avoid paying taxes. In other words, there is an unbreakable link between taxation and tax evasion. Due to the fact that tax evasion can cause considerable damage to the National treasury et produce other serious consequences, the fight against this phenomenon is always a major concern of government for all countries. Indeed, the fight against tax evasion is a very broad subject. Many factors influence the effectiveness of this fight. But among these factors, punishment undoubtedly plays a major role. Because the fear of being caught and the fear of being punished play a significant role in the propensity to avoid taxes. Thus, to improve the effectiveness of the fight against this illicit phenomenon, it is important to study the penalty for tax evasion. In China, since the economic system has developed gradually from a highly centralized planned economy to a market economy, the phenomenon of tax evasion gets worse rapidly. Therefore, in the last twenty years, the Chinese government gradually hardens its policy to fight against tax evasion and pays more attention to legislation in this regard. Much effort has been made. Nevertheless, the Chinese system of repression of tax evasion still presents many problems affecting the effectiveness of the fight against tax evasion. To this end, it is necessary to identify existing problems in the current system and see if it is possible to find out some solutions to improve the efficiency of repression

Texas leads the nation in the number of executions carried out since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. Race was a key factor in the 1972 moratorium, and though the Supreme Court allowed for its return under new statutes, race continues to plague the capital punishment legal system. In this study, I examine the influence of race on case clearances in capital and non-capital homicides in Texas, using the extra-legal and non-discretionary theories from existing clearance literature. I find that race influences the probability of cases being cleared in non-capital cases but has no statistically significant effect in clearing capital cases.

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies