| |
 |
| Death
Penalty: |
YES |
| Prohibit
Execution of the Mentally Retarded: |
NO. However, this state must draft legislation with clear and unambiguous language prohibiting executions of persons with an IQ of less than 70 in order to reflect the recent United States Supreme Court decision Atkins v. Virginia, which held that such executions are unconstitutional. |
| Life
Without Parole: |
YES |
| Minimum
Age to Eligible for the Death Penalty: |
16 |
| Number
on Death Row: |
5 |
| Race
of Defendants: |
5 white (100%) |
| Race
of Victims: |
unknown |
| Racial
Make-up of State Population: |
88% white, 8% American Indian, 1% black, 1% Hispanic, 1% Asian |
| Innocents
Exonerated: |
NO |
| Columbia
University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases: |
not included in study |
| Murder
Rate: |
1.4 per 100,000 (ranked 50th out of 51) |
| Governor: |
Mike Rounds, (Republican),
|
| Presidential
Vote: |
60% Bush, 38% Gore |
| Public
Opinion on the Death Penalty: |
official polls unknown; unscientific internet poll taken 8/16/01 found 63% support the death penalty and 37% oppose it when asked about it in the abstract. |
| Organizations
Endorsing a Moratorium: |
St. Mary's Parish (Lower Brule)
Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Aberdeen (Aberdeen)
|
| Organizations
Working FOR a Moratorium: |
ACLU of Dakotas
418 East Broadway, Suite 20
Bismark, ND 58501
Jennifer Ring-contact
South Dakota Peace and Justice Center
P.O. Box 405
Watertown, SD 57201
Jeanne Koster-contact
605-882-2822--(day)
[email protected]
|
| Clemency: |
The Governor has the authority to grant clemency. The Governor may ask the Board of Pardons for non-binding recommendations |
| Who
Decides Sentence: |
Jury |
| Method
of Execution: |
Lethal injection |
