Opinions about the Death Penalty?

[Malong]

Correct me if I'm wrong but economics should not decide personal and public safety. So it doesn't really matter what is cheaper. Otherwise, it would be cheapest to disband law enforcement agencies and restore Wild West rules: buy yourself a gun and defend yourself as you can...

This is a classic example of argumentum ad absurdum. Cost is of a death penalty trial is a completely independent and mutually exclusive from the cost of law enforcement. In fact, law enforcement and judicial systems are completely different municipal services regardless.

Anyway, cost was simply mentioned because (in the US at least) the trial costs are multiple times as expensive when the death penalty is sought. The cost of execution by lethal injection is miniscule comparatively.