{"id":374215,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:40","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/minnesota-law\/minnesota-capital-punishment-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-11-22T10:23:57","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T15:23:57","slug":"minnesota-capital-punishment-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/minnesota-law\/minnesota-capital-punishment-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Capital Punishment Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Minnesota 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

Minnesota was one of the first states to ban capital punishment<\/a> in 1911. Despite many attempts to restore the death penalty<\/a> in Minnesota, the state legislature has never repealed the ban on the death penalty. Minnesota’s most severe criminal penalty is life imprisonment without the possibility of release, reserved for "heinous" crimes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Code section<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Minn. Stat. \u00a7\u00a7 609.10<\/a>; 609.185<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Is capital punishment allowed?<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

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

Note: State laws are constantly changing. While FindLaw makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of its state law summaries, you may also want to <\/i>contact a Minnesota criminal defense attorney<\/i><\/a> or conduct your own legal research to verify the state laws you are researching.<\/i><\/p>\r\n

A Brief History of the Minnesota Capital Punishment Laws<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The botched hanging of a convicted killer in 1906 ultimately led to the abolition of capital punishment in Minnesota.<\/p>\r\n

The last execution in Minnesota involved William Williams<\/a>. The state charged him for the murders of a mother and her teenage son. He pleaded not guilty by reason of "emotional insanity." A jury ultimately convicted him of the murders, and the court sentenced him to death by hanging. The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed his death sentence after several appeals.<\/p>\r\n

Williams was to be executed in the Ramsey County Jail in St. Paul. Unfortunately, the executioners made a mistake<\/a> by not accounting for the stretch of the rope used to hang him. When they released the trap door, Williams’ feet hit the floor. Three police officers had to hold the rope for 14 minutes until Williams finally died.<\/p>\r\n

Opponents of capital punishment seized on the botched execution<\/a> as an example of the death penalty’s cruelty. They used the high-profile case in their efforts to abolish the death penalty.<\/p>\r\n

Minnesota legislators approved a bill to end the death penalty<\/a>. The bill passed the House easily and eventually passed a tight Senate vote. The governor signed it into law in 1911.<\/p>\r\n

As the Death Penalty Information Center<\/a> notes, there have been at least 22 attempts to repeal the death penalty ban. But the ban remains law in the state of Minnesota.<\/p>\r\n

Other States<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Minnesota is one of 23 states (and the District of Columbia) to ban the death penalty altogether. Other states that have banned capital punishment include the following:<\/p>\r\n