The first section of the journal on the death penalty in context contains four articles. The first article provides an overview of the death penalty and capital trials, while the second article considers public attitudes toward the death penalty. The other two articles discuss capital punishment and deterrence and the U.S. Supreme Court's response to social science research on capital punishment. The second section of the journal on the capital sentencing trial includes three articles that deal with sources of bias and arbitrariness in the capital trial, attorney persuasion in the capital penalty phase, and the jurisprudence of death. A concluding journal section presents empirical evidence on the death penalty and notes questions that need to be addressed in future research on capital punishment. References, tables, and figures