UCLA School of Law

Tom Sorell argues that the ideal of responsible agency requires an agent who has committed a crime to submit to the public's response. This article contests Sorell's claim that this ideal could provide any independent source of support for the death penalty. The article also raises worries about Sorell's claim that the ideally responsible agent would confess promptly and submit willingly to prosecution. In some cases, taking true responsibility for a crime may require more time and greater engagement with the public's response than prompt expressions of remorse would allow.