The fed­er­al death penal­ty is con­tro­ver­sial because it can be applied even in the 18 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that have elect­ed not to have cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment in their own law. Out of respect for the peo­ple of Rhode Island–a non-death penal­ty state – the gov­er­nor, Lincoln Chafee (pic­tured), resist­ed turn­ing over a defen­dant in 2011 to face the fed­er­al death penal­ty. The defen­dant, Jason Pleau, agreed to plead guilty to a series of charges includ­ing mur­der if he could be tried in state court. The fed­er­al gov­ern­ment resist­ed this offer, and it even­tu­al­ly pre­vailed in a court chal­lenge by the gov­er­nor regard­ing cus­tody of Pleau. Now the fed­er­al gov­ern­ment has announced that it will accept a plea in fed­er­al court in exchange for not seek­ing a death sen­tence. Following the agree­ment, Gov. Chafee said, ​“The case today has reached a con­clu­sion, and [the vic­tim’s] fam­i­ly can begin the long heal­ing process. A life sen­tence is the appro­pri­ate pun­ish­ment for this bru­tal crime and respects Rhode Island’s long­stand­ing oppo­si­tion to the death penalty.”

There have been no exe­cu­tions in Rhode Island since 1852. 

(M. Smith, ​“RI Man in Death Penalty Battle to Plead Guilty,” ABC News, July 26, 2013). See Federal Death Penalty.

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