Capital punishment in the District of Columbia facts for kids

The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is no longer used in Washington, D.C.. However, in the past, some people were executed there. It's important to know that some executions happened in D.C. but were handled by the U.S. federal government, not by D.C. itself. For example, this included the 1942 execution of six Nazi spies.

History of the Death Penalty in D.C.

Before 1973, the District of Columbia was completely managed by the United States Congress. This meant Congress made all the local laws for D.C.

Changes to Death Penalty Laws

Until 1962, D.C. was the last place in the United States where judges had to give the death penalty for certain serious crimes. Vermont was the last state to have such a rule. This rule was changed by a law signed by President John F. Kennedy on March 22, 1962. This law meant that judges no longer had to give the death penalty.

The law allowing the death penalty in D.C. was stopped by a Supreme Court decision in 1972. Then, in 1981, the D.C. Council officially removed the death penalty from D.C. laws.

Public Opinion and Reinstatement Attempts

In 1992, people living in D.C. voted in a special election. They voted against bringing back the death penalty. D.C. is known for being a very liberal area, meaning most people there usually vote for the Democratic party in presidential elections.

In 1997, the Mayor at the time, Marion Barry, suggested a new law. This law would have allowed the death penalty for people who murdered public safety workers, like police officers. However, a committee in the D.C. Council rejected this idea.

How Executions Were Carried Out

The first recorded execution in D.C. happened in 1802. A man named James McGirk was executed by hanging. Hanging was the way executions were done in D.C. until 1928. After that, the electric chair was used instead. The last execution carried out by D.C. authorities was in 1957, when Robert Carter was executed.

The President of the United States has the power to pardon someone in D.C. This means the President can forgive a crime or stop a punishment, like an execution.