Capital punishment in the state of
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
ended in 1972 for all crimes due to ''
Furman v. Georgia'' and has not been reinstated since. Vermont still has pre-''Furman'' capital statutes on the books but these have been left unenforceable due to ''Furman''. Most states changed their capital punishment laws to conform with ''Furman'' and ''
Gregg v. Georgia'', but the
Vermont legislature
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The Ge ...
has yet to do so, effectively abolishing the death penalty in the state. The state last executed a prisoner, Donald DeMag, in 1954, after he received the sentence for a double robbery-murder he committed after escaping prison.
Although DeMag was the last person executed by Vermont, he was not the last person to be sentenced to death by a Vermont court. Lionel Goyet, a soldier who was
Absent Without Leave
Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...
for the fifth time, robbed and killed a farmhand, and was sentenced to death in 1957. His sentence was commuted six months later, and Goyet was conditionally pardoned in 1969. He had no further problems with the law, and died of heart failure in 1980.
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
still has a pre-''
Furman'' statute providing death by electrocution for treason, though the state's execution chamber has since closed.
Summary
See also
*
List of people executed in Vermont
*
Crime in Vermont
This article refers to crime in the U.S. state of Vermont. Vermont is the safest state in the country with a violent crime rate of 118 incidents per 100,000 state residents.
State statistics
In 2011 there were 16,011 crimes reported in Vermont, ...
*
Law of Vermont
Notes
References
* Hearn, Daniel Allen, ''Legal Executions in New England: A comprehensive reference, 1623–1960'' (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1999).
{{CapPun-US
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
Crime in Vermont
Vermont law