94:. At the trial in 1844, Nicholas and William Gordon were found to have ironclad alibis, but considerable circumstantial evidence was presented against John. The most damaging testimony was given by witnesses who identified a gun found near the victim as belonging to the Gordons. They could not produce their gun during the trial, but it was found afterward in their home. Nicholas and William were acquitted, but John was convicted and sentenced to death. His conviction was appealed to the
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John Gordon was hanged on
February 14, 1845. It was the last execution in Rhode Island. On January 23, 1852, after seven years of discussion and debate concerning Gordon’s conviction and the merits of capital punishment, the Senate Committee on Education issued a report. The report contained literary
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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. Many pieces of legislation have been introduced since then to reinstate the death penalty for specific crimes, but none have passed.
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The
Gordons, who were Irish Catholics, received the support of the state labor movement, which consisted primarily of Irish and Italian immigrants. The labor movement saw the trial as part of their struggle against the commercially and politically powerful industrialists represented by the
27:, having abolished it for all crimes in 1852. The death penalty was reintroduced in 1872, but it was never carried out before being abolished again in 1984. Of all the states, Rhode Island has had the longest period with no executions, none having taken place since 1845.
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Rhode Island performed 53 executions from 1670 to 13 February 1845, but only eight took place after statehood. Half of the executions occurred on 19 July 1723, when 26 sailors were hanged for piracy. Rhode Island has never executed a female offender.
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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,
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were authorized after 1973, but were never used. In 1984, Rhode Island established law current with the United States
Constitution that capital punishment is a form of cruel and unusual punishment and is illegal.
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references to the death penalty, and outlined U.S. and
European practices regarding it. On February 11, 1852, the Rhode Island General Assembly abolished capital punishment.
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ruled that the mandatory death sentence provisions of
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and one of the wealthiest and most powerful industrialists in the state, was murdered. In
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Report of the
Committee on Education in the Senate on the Subject of Capital Punishment
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for murders committed during confinement in state correctional institutions. But the
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was the most commonly used form of execution; one execution was carried out by
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Report of the
Committee on the Abolishment of Capital Punishment
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was one of the earliest states in the United States to abolish
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White defendants executed for killing a black victim
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342:"State Library - Rhode Island - Nellie M. Gorbea"
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1222:National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
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149:Total number of executions: 53 (8 as a state)
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417:Capital punishment in the United States
287:Capital punishment in the United States
282:List of people executed in Rhode Island
145:RHODE ISLAND CAPITAL PUNISHMENT SUMMARY
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1174:Participation of medical professionals
129:8th amendment to the U.S. Constitution
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382:from the Rhode Island State Archives
376:from the Rhode Island State Archives
119:instituted the penalty of death by
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1212:Death Penalty Information Center
215:(posthumously pardoned in 2011)
1217:Most recent executions by state
251:Authorized methods of execution
39:Hanging, drawing and quartering
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231:Capital punishment reinstated
117:Rhode Island General Assembly
310:"Regional Studies Northeast"
241:Capital punishment abolished
221:Capital punishment abolished
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115:On June 26, 1973, the
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65:Rhode Island Governor
54:History of abolitions
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255:1670–1852; 1872–1984
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269:gas inhalation (0)
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369:List of executions
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24:capital punishment
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82:. In March 1844,
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1159:Exonerations
938:2020–present
923:South Dakota
913:Rhode Island
908:Pennsylvania
888:North Dakota
641:South Dakota
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606:North Dakota
349:. Retrieved
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318:. Retrieved
314:the original
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103:James Fenner
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47:Gas chambers
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18:Rhode Island
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838:Mississippi
763:Connecticut
701:Puerto Rico
556:Mississippi
471:Connecticut
208:John Gordon
1252:Categories
960:Washington
873:New Mexico
868:New Jersey
753:California
671:Washington
591:New Mexico
586:New Jersey
461:California
351:2016-07-21
320:2009-05-30
293:References
245:5/09/1984
225:2/11/1852
176:11/02/1670
1169:Last meal
1164:Juveniles
928:Tennessee
818:Louisiana
681:Wisconsin
646:Tennessee
551:Minnesota
526:Louisiana
266:1973–1984
199:2/14/1845
43:Gibbeting
955:Virginia
898:Oklahoma
878:New York
853:Nebraska
843:Missouri
833:Michigan
823:Maryland
813:Kentucky
793:Illinois
777:pre-1972
768:Delaware
758:Colorado
748:Arkansas
733:Military
720:executed
716:Lists of
666:Virginia
616:Oklahoma
596:New York
571:Nebraska
561:Missouri
546:Michigan
536:Maryland
521:Kentucky
501:Illinois
476:Delaware
466:Colorado
456:Arkansas
436:Military
276:See also
166:Offense
139:Timeline
100:Governor
985:By year
970:Wyoming
950:Vermont
848:Montana
798:Indiana
783:Georgia
773:Florida
743:Arizona
738:Alabama
686:Wyoming
661:Vermont
566:Montana
506:Indiana
486:Georgia
481:Florida
451:Arizona
441:Alabama
259:hanging
203:hanging
180:hanging
35:Hanging
1144:Debate
903:Oregon
858:Nevada
808:Kansas
718:people
621:Oregon
576:Nevada
516:Kansas
491:Hawaii
446:Alaska
213:murder
188:murder
160:Method
76:murder
1200:Other
933:Texas
788:Idaho
651:Texas
531:Maine
496:Idaho
261:(51)
235:1872
80:arson
1113:2024
1108:2023
1103:2022
1098:2021
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993:2000
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893:Ohio
803:Iowa
696:Guam
656:Utah
611:Ohio
511:Iowa
163:Name
157:Date
84:John
78:and
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329:^
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