Capital offense
This is the current revision of Capital offense as edited by Quidam65 (talk | contribs) at 23:02, October 3, 2019. This URL is a permanent link to this version of this page.
A capital offense (also called a "capital crime") is a crime punishable by death penalty.
Under American law and case rulings, only murder (and then, only the most severe types) is eligible to be tried as a capital offense, and minors or persons with retardation are ineligible for the death penalty. A death penalty sentence is not automatic and does not have to be sought by the prosecution; for example family members of the deceased may request mercy.