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Gallup: 72 Percent Support Death Penalty

Aired May 10, 2002 - 12:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now the evolving American attitudes about the death penalty.

More now from Gallup's editor-in-chief, Frank Newport live in Princeton -- Frank, what are you finding out, those numbers there?

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Well, indeed, Bill, we had just finished, as a matter of fact, our latest update on the death penalty last night.

And what we're finding is that, actually, we've seen a slight increase in support for the death penalty. We thought, maybe because of that Illinois report and the attention given these moratoriums, that Americans would become more cautious, but not so.

Here is the long-term trend back until the Depression days, when Gallup first started asking it. The death penalty came down in the '60s, support for it. Support went all the way up to 80 percent, oh, eight years ago or so. But now just recently, it has actually come back up again.

Let me show you the last five times we have asked it. And I will show you what I am talking about, Bill. The numbers: 67, 65. There is the 68 percent we saw a minute ago -- now, 72 percent, as of last night. So, support is actually going up. A lot are people are startled by this, Bill. We say, "Should the death penalty be applied more often or not?" Almost half of America -- you can see them represented right here -- says that the death penalty is not applied often enough. And that is as of last night, the public was telling us.

This whole issue about it being fair or not, the majority of Americans say it is applied fairly -- but a big difference by race. If you are white, 58 percent say the death penalty is applied fairly. But if you are a person of color, Bill, in the United States, just 39 percent say it is applied fairly. That is one of those giant divisions in opinion that we're finding by ethnicity in the American public.

Bill, that's our latest update as of last night.

HEMMER: Frank, thanks -- Frank Newport there in Princeton, New Jersey.

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