Capital Crime

[Baker, John]

        I'd say it's just an error.  Black's Law Dictionary defines
"capital crime" or "capital offense" as "A crime for which the death
penalty may be imposed."


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Dave Wilton
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 11:41 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Capital Crime

Is "capital crime" being defined as homicide, as opposed to any crime
which is punishable by death? Or is the following just an error? From
today's Slate, "Deception at the Supreme Court," by Thomas Goldstein,
http://www.slate.com/id/2174854/pagenum/2/:

"The defendant in this case is the only person in the country who is on
death row for a noncapital crime."

(The case in question is a child rape case, which is punishable by death
in
Louisiana.)

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org