Why is it important to study evil in the courts? Why is it important to define the legal terms "heinous" or "depraved?

Words like "evil," "heinous" and "depraved" have long been used in criminal sentencing codes to distinguish crimes that warrant more severe sentencing. Yet, even in a justice system that seeks to uphold fairness and objectivity, there is no standardized, or consistent, clear definition for these presently used legal terms. Current specifications within the United States, established in higher court decisions and applied by lower courts, vary from state to state - and even between courts within the same state. Outside of the United States, war crimes tribunals preside over the fates of many defendants associated with dramatic events - but how do international criminal courts stick to evidence, and avoid political shading of justice when they decide what are the worst of crimes? When judges and jurors have little direction as to what makes a crime "depraved," they are forced to rely on easily manipulated emotions. In certain instances, these potentially uninformed or biased decisions ...  more