If the death penalty were to be abolished the DAs would have nothing to plea deal with, which is probably 97% of murder investigations. What would they use to encourage defendants to admit their crime to avoid? Cold showers, bad food, no internet? When I was younger I never thought that the death penalty was a deterrent, except for borderline and narcissistic moral people. I thought the opposite, that the elimination of witnesses was a more compelling motive. Today people will kill you for nothing and have no feelings at all. The death penalty has a place in the administration of justice, just like incarnation. I think incarnation makes bad people worse, it is our culture that needs an overhaul. You may argue about the decades of appeals, the costs in money and emotion, and the application of the DP, but it is very stupid to say there is no place for it. To do that acknowledges that you have no idea who is walking the streets next to you.