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Minnesota Capital Punishment Laws

Minnesota was one of the first states to ban capital punishment in 1911. Despite many attempts to restore the death penalty in Minnesota, the state legislature has never repealed the ban on the death penalty.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.

Code section

Minn. Stat. §§ 609.10; 609.185

Is capital punishment allowed?

No

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 contact a Minnesota criminal defense attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state laws you are researching.

A Brief History of the Minnesota Capital Punishment Laws

The botched hanging of a convicted killer in 1906 ultimately led to the abolition of capital punishment in Minnesota.

The last execution in Minnesota involved William Williams. 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.

Williams was to be executed in the Ramsey County Jail in St. Paul. Unfortunately, the executioners made a mistake 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.

Opponents of capital punishment seized on the botched execution as an example of the death penalty's cruelty. They used the high-profile case in their efforts to abolish the death penalty.

Minnesota legislators approved a bill to end the death penalty. The bill passed the House easily and eventually passed a tight Senate vote. The governor signed it into law in 1911.

As the Death Penalty Information Center notes, there have been at least 22 attempts to repeal the death penalty ban. But the ban remains law in the state of Minnesota.

Other States

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:

  • Alaska
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • New York
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

There are 21 states with the death penalty. They include the following:

  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Texas

There are seven states where jurors can impose the death penalty. But active moratoriums in each state prevent jurors from doing so. These states are as follows:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Kentucky

For a complete list of states and their respective death penalty laws and punishments (e.g., lethal injection, electrocution, etc.), read FindLaw's Death Penalty Laws by State article.

Research the Law

For more information about capital punishment and Minnesota laws, consider browsing the following links:

FindLaw also has an article about recent developments in capital punishment.

Contact an Attorney

If you are facing criminal charges, contacting a criminal defense attorney is a good idea. An attorney can give you important information about the following:

If you have questions about a pending criminal case, contact a criminal defense attorney in Minnesota today.

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