{"id":373704,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ability-fl-prod.internetbrands.com\/ability-law\/state\/maine-law\/maine-capital-punishment-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-10-08T09:08:27","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T14:08:27","slug":"maine-capital-punishment-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/maine-law\/maine-capital-punishment-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Maine Capital Punishment Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Maine Capital Punishment Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Samuel Strom, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Following a botched execution in 1885, Maine’s state legislature decided to abolish the death penalty. In 1887, it abolished capital punishment. Although there have been several attempts to reinstate a death penalty law, Maine continues to ban capital punishment.<\/p>\r\n

This article describes the history of capital punishment in Maine. It begins with the state’s current capital punishment law. It then describes the historical background and use of the death penalty.<\/p>\r\n

Maine Capital Punishment Statutes<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The following chart lists the capital punishment<\/a> laws in Maine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Code section<\/th>\r\n

Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Section 1502<\/a>: Authorized Sentences<\/p>\r\n

Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Section 1603<\/a>: Imprisonment for Crime of Murder<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Is capital punishment allowed?<\/th>\r\n

No<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

Note:<\/b> State laws are always subject to change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in the higher courts (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, please consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state laws you are researching.<\/i><\/p>\r\n

History and Development of Maine’s Ban on Capital Punishment<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

According to Death Penalty USA<\/a>, Maine has executed 21 people in its history. Maine became a state in 1820. It allowed juries to impose capital punishment until the state legislature banned it in 1876. But, in 1883, the legislature passed a bill that allowed the death penalty in murder cases.<\/p>\r\n

The last person executed was a convicted murderer, Daniel Wilkinson, in 1885. The Death Penalty Information Center<\/a> notes that "[d]ue to a poorly-tied hangman’s noose, Daniel Wilkinson died slowly of strangulation."<\/p>\r\n

Wilkinson’s botched execution spurred the state legislature to listen to anti-death penalty supporters. In 1887, the state abolished the death penalty. The Maine State Legislature offers a timeline<\/a> of the state’s death penalty laws.<\/p>\r\n

Today, the harshest penalty for a crime in Maine is a sentence of life imprisonment. But, if a Maine resident gets convicted of a federal crime<\/a> that carries a sentence of death, the federal government can execute them.<\/p>\r\n

How Maine Compares With Other States<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Maine and 22 other states, plus the District of Columbia, do not impose the death penalty. States with no death penalty are:<\/p>\r\n