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Territory of Michigan joins U.S.
Only 13 executions were carried out in Michigan's history, just 6 of which occurred after Michigan officially became a territory in the U.S. -
Patrick Fitzpatrick
One day, the daughter of the innkeeper was found raped and murdered. Fitzpatrick was arrested and accused of committing the crime. After a brief trial, and based on circumstantial evidence, Fitzpatrick was found guilty and shortly thereafter hanged. Seven years later, Fitzpatrick’s former roommate at the inn in Sandwich lay on his deathbed. Wanting to clear his conscience before dying, he confessed to raping and killing the innkeeper’s daughter. The residents of michigan were outraged. -
Stephen Simmons
Stephen Simmons was publicly hanged in Detroit, Michigan: the very last time that state has conducted an execution.He was a violent drunk who one night at home picked a fight with his wife Livana and killed her with a blow to the abdomen. He felt so bad that even with his last words he asked for forgiveness. -
Michigan Gains Statehood
The only execution carried out in Michigan after it gained statehood was the federal execution (outside state jurisdiction) of Anthony Chebatoris in 1938. -
Michigan Death Penalty Abolished
Michigan was the first English-speaking government in the world to totally abolish the death penalty for ordinary crimes. Since has remained. Treason remained the only crime punishable by death in that state. -
Anthony Chebatoris hanged
Chebatoris was charged with attempted bank robbery and murder. His trial was held at Federal Court. Chebatoris was found guilty of murder on October 29, 1937, and sentenced to death. Since capital punishment in Michigan was abolished, Governor Frank Murphy tried to get Chebatoris's sentence communted to life imprisonment or move to another state, arguing Michigan had no capital punishment. However, a loop hole in the law stated that the crime of treason was punishable by execution. -
Abolishment added to state constitution
A constitutional convention passed a proposal to abolish the death penalty for all crimes in Michigan by a 108 to 3 vote. -
Legislation opportunities (total of 8)
There has been many attempts to restore the penalty. In the 1850 and 1867 constitutional conventions they tried and failed and in 1929 the legislature passed a death penalty bill that was vetoed. The bill was passed again in 1931 and defeated by a vote of the people. Since the 1963 constitutional prohibition, there has been no successful legislative attempt to amend the constitution to allow the death penalty.Citizen groups have tried four times, and the most recent was in 1986. -
My Opinion
In my opinion I am all for the death penalty because it decreases the population in prison , scares people out of committing crimes, and they deserve it as long as they are truly guilty of a crime worth the punishment. The only reason that I’d be against the death penalty is if it were too good for the scum or if I was the one on death row.
