Capital punishment in Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Rhode Island
is one of the earliest states of the United States to abolish capital punishment
, having completely abolished it for all crimes in 1852. The death penalty was later reintroduced in 1872, but it never was carried out before being abolished again in 1984.
Rhode Island performed 52 executions from 1673 to February 13, 1845. Only seven of them took place after statehood
. Half of all the executions occurred on July 19, 1723 when 26 sailors were hanged for piracy
. Rhode Island has never executed a female
.
Hanging
was a legal method and the most commonly used form of execution; however five executions were carried out by an unknown method.
had abolished capital punishment for all crimes except murder
and arson
. Amasa Sprague was one of the wealthiest and most powerful industrialists in the state. John, Nicholas, and William Gordon were indicted for the murder in March 1844. Nicholas Gordon had been involved in a dispute with Amasa Sprague over the renewal of Gordon’s liquor license.
The Gordons, who were Irish Catholics, received the support of the state labor movement, which consisted primarily of Irish and Italian immigrants. At the trial in 1844, Nicholas and William Gordon were found to have ironclad alibis, but considerable circumstantial evidence was presented against John Gordon. John Gordon was convicted of the murder in 1844 and was sentenced to death by hanging, to be carried out on February 14, 1845. The labor movement had seen the trial of the Gordons as part of the struggle with the commercially and politically powerful industrialists represented by the Sprague family. The most damning circumstantial evidence at trial were witnesses who identified a gun found near the victim as belonging to the Gordons. The Gordons could not produce their gun during trial. However, after the trial, the gun was found intact within the Gordon home. John Gordon’s conviction was appealed to the House of Representatives
, which denied it by a vote of 36 to 27. It was then appealed to Governor James Fenner
, who reviewed the conviction but refused to intercede.
John Gordon was executed for the murder of Amasa Sprague on February 14, 1845. This was the last execution in Rhode Island. On January 23, 1852, after seven years of discussion and debate regarding the merits of Gordon’s conviction and of capital punishment, the Senate Committee on Education issued a report on the history and merits of capital punishment. This report contains literary quotations on the death penalty and contemporary U.S. and European practices regarding capital punishment. On February 11, 1852, the Rhode Island General Assembly abolished capital punishment entirely.
However, the death penalty was reinstated in 1872 for a murder
committed while under sentence of life imprisonment, but no one was ever executed under this provision.
On June 26, 1973 Rhode Island General Assembly
provided for the penalty of death by lethal gas
for murders committed by persons while under confinement in the state correctional institutions. But the Rhode Island Supreme Court
issued the opinion that the mandatory death sentence provisions of 1973 Chapter 280 (RI General Laws 11-23-2) violated the cruel and unusual punishment prohibitions of the 8th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Finally, on May 9, 1984, the General Assembly enacted Public Law Chapter 221, which removed the mandatory death sentence language from RI General Law section 11-23-2. There have been many pieces of legislation introduced since 1984 to reinstate the death penalty for specific crimes, but nothing has been passed into law.
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
is one of the earliest states of the United States to abolish capital punishment
Capital punishment in the United States
Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
, having completely abolished it for all crimes in 1852. The death penalty was later reintroduced in 1872, but it never was carried out before being abolished again in 1984.
Rhode Island performed 52 executions from 1673 to February 13, 1845. Only seven of them took place after statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. Half of all the executions occurred on July 19, 1723 when 26 sailors were hanged for piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
. Rhode Island has never executed a female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
.
Hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
was a legal method and the most commonly used form of execution; however five executions were carried out by an unknown method.
History of abolitions
In January 1838, a report entitled, “Report of the Committee On the Abolishment of Capital Punishments” was made by the General Assembly Committee to Revise the Penal Code. The recommendation was to abolish capital punishment. On December 31, 1843, Amasa Sprague, who was the brother of former Rhode Island Governor William Sprague, was murdered. In January 1844, the General AssemblyRhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
had abolished capital punishment for all crimes except murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. Amasa Sprague was one of the wealthiest and most powerful industrialists in the state. John, Nicholas, and William Gordon were indicted for the murder in March 1844. Nicholas Gordon had been involved in a dispute with Amasa Sprague over the renewal of Gordon’s liquor license.
The Gordons, who were Irish Catholics, received the support of the state labor movement, which consisted primarily of Irish and Italian immigrants. At the trial in 1844, Nicholas and William Gordon were found to have ironclad alibis, but considerable circumstantial evidence was presented against John Gordon. John Gordon was convicted of the murder in 1844 and was sentenced to death by hanging, to be carried out on February 14, 1845. The labor movement had seen the trial of the Gordons as part of the struggle with the commercially and politically powerful industrialists represented by the Sprague family. The most damning circumstantial evidence at trial were witnesses who identified a gun found near the victim as belonging to the Gordons. The Gordons could not produce their gun during trial. However, after the trial, the gun was found intact within the Gordon home. John Gordon’s conviction was appealed to the House of Representatives
Rhode Island House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 75 members, elected to two year terms from 75 districts of equal population. The Rhode Island General Assembly does not have...
, which denied it by a vote of 36 to 27. It was then appealed to Governor James Fenner
James Fenner
James Fenner was an American politician who served as an United States Senator as well as the seventh, 11th and 17th Governor of Rhode Island . He was the son of Arthur Fenner, the fourth governor of Rhode Island.Fenner was born in Providence, Rhode Island...
, who reviewed the conviction but refused to intercede.
John Gordon was executed for the murder of Amasa Sprague on February 14, 1845. This was the last execution in Rhode Island. On January 23, 1852, after seven years of discussion and debate regarding the merits of Gordon’s conviction and of capital punishment, the Senate Committee on Education issued a report on the history and merits of capital punishment. This report contains literary quotations on the death penalty and contemporary U.S. and European practices regarding capital punishment. On February 11, 1852, the Rhode Island General Assembly abolished capital punishment entirely.
However, the death penalty was reinstated in 1872 for a murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
committed while under sentence of life imprisonment, but no one was ever executed under this provision.
On June 26, 1973 Rhode Island General Assembly
Rhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
provided for the penalty of death by lethal gas
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
for murders committed by persons while under confinement in the state correctional institutions. But the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Rhode Island Supreme Court
The Rhode Island Supreme Court, founded in 1747, is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. The current Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court are:*Chief Justice Paul A...
issued the opinion that the mandatory death sentence provisions of 1973 Chapter 280 (RI General Laws 11-23-2) violated the cruel and unusual punishment prohibitions of the 8th amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Finally, on May 9, 1984, the General Assembly enacted Public Law Chapter 221, which removed the mandatory death sentence language from RI General Law section 11-23-2. There have been many pieces of legislation introduced since 1984 to reinstate the death penalty for specific crimes, but nothing has been passed into law.
Summary
| Date | Method | Name | Offense | |
| Date capital punishment was legally abolished | 1852-02-11 | |||
| Date capital punishment was reinstated | 1872 | |||
| Date capital punishment was legally abolished (2d time) | |1984-05-09 | |||
| Legal methods of execution | 1673–1852; 1872–1984 | hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... (47) |
||
| 1973–1984 | gas chamber Gas chamber A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used... (0) |
|||
| First legal execution | 1673 | unknown | Punnean | unknown |
| Most recent legal execution | 1845-02-14 | hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
John Gordon | murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |