New Jersey abolished its death penalty in 2007. It was the first state to abolish the death penalty. Also, New York changed the conviction of its last death row convict in 2007.
No. Rwanda abolished the death penalty in 2007.
The NJ Legislature abolished the dealth penalty in 2007.
No. The New York Supreme Court declared part of the state capital punishment statute unconstitutional in 2004, and upheld their decision in 2007. The New York legislature has not acted to reinstate the penalty or amend the law.
As of October 2009, fourteen states and the District of Columbia have abolished the death penalty; and New York has declared a portion of its capital punishment statute unconstitutional. The difference between New York's status and that of the other listed states is that, while their judiciary nullified a portion of the current death penalty law, the state hasn't passed legislation officially banning capital punishment.The number on the right indicates the year each state officially legislated against the death penalty.Alaska.......................1957Hawaii.......................1948Iowa.........................1965Maine........................1887Massachusetts............1984Michigan....................1846Minnesota..................1911North Dakota..............1973Rhode Island..............1984Vermont....................1964West Virginia..............1965Wisconsin..................1853Washington, DC..........1981New Jersey.................2007New Mexico................2009New York...................2004, 2007** State death penalty statute declared unconstitutional.
The Onion News Network - 2007 Supreme Court Rules Death Penalty Is 'Totally Badass' was released on: USA: 24 June 2008
The last public execution was June 16 1939, Eugene Weidmann. The last actual guillotining was 10 September 1977, Hamida Djandoubi. The death penalty was abolished in France, as in every civilised nation, in 1981.
The ACLU Freedom Files - 2005 Freedom to Live The Death Penalty 2-1 was released on: USA: 3 September 2007 USA: 7 September 2007
Cold Case - 2003 Death Penalty Final Appeal 3-20 was released on: USA: 16 April 2006 Australia: 14 August 2006 Hungary: 13 May 2007 Japan: 17 November 2007
Paranormal State - 2007 The Death Room 5-1 was released on: USA: 17 October 2010
The US Supreme Court requires "heightened scrutiny" for death penalty appeals. Heightened scrutiny is an intermediate level of judicial review between "strict scrutiny" and "rational basis." To withstand the heightened scrutiny test, the law or policy must "further an important government interest by means that are substantially related to that interest.""The standard of review for an appeal from a capital murder conviction and death sentence is that of "heightened scrutiny"; all doubts are to be resolved in favor of the accused because what may be harmless error in a case with less at stake becomes reversible error when the penalty is death." Thorson v. State, 2007 WL 2446474 (Miss. 2007)
As of July 2011, sixteen states and the District of Columbia have abolished the death penalty.Alaska.......................1957Hawaii.......................1948Illinois.......................2011Iowa.........................1965Maine........................1887Massachusetts............1984Michigan....................1846Minnesota..................1911North Dakota..............1973Rhode Island..............1984Vermont....................1964West Virginia..............1965Wisconsin..................1853Washington, DC..........1981New Jersey.................2007New Mexico*..............2009New York...................2004, 2007* Two inmates remain on death row.Conversely, Texas leads the nation in the number of prisoners executed since 1976, at 470. Virginia runs a distant second with 108 executions in that time; Oklahoma is third with 96.Michigan was the world's first English speaking government to abolish (except for treason) Capital Punishment. New Mexico's ban went into effect on 1 July 2009 but was not retroactive for those already convicted and sentenced or where the crime was committed before July 1, 2009.
Alaska.......................1957Hawaii.......................1948Iowa.........................1965Maine........................1887Massachusetts............1984Michigan....................1846Minnesota..................1911North Dakota..............1973Rhode Island..............1984Vermont....................1964West Virginia..............1965Wisconsin..................1853Washington, DC..........1981New Jersey.................2007New Mexico................2009New York...................2004, 2007** State death penalty statute declared unconstitutional.Because the voters find it a cruel and unusual punishment.