State & Federal
North Dakota
News & Developments
News
Mar 22, 2023
Federal Government Announces Withdrawal of Intent to Seek Death in North Dakota Case
On March 14, 2023, at the direction of Attorney General Merrick Garland (pictured), the U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota withdrew the notice of intent to seek a death sentence for Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr., who had been convicted in 2006 of the 2003 kidnapping and killing of college student Dru Sjodin. Rodriguez had originally been sentenced to death in 2007, but U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Erickson reversed the death sentence because of misleading testimony presented at trial from the coroner and failures of defense counsel to explore…
Read MoreOct 16, 2014
NEW RESOURCES: Podcast Series on Each State’s Death Penalty
DPIC has recently added four podcasts to our new series on important facts about the death penalty in each state. Seven state podcasts are now available: Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Alaska, and Hawaii. We expect to add new episodes each week, with two more coming tomorow (Oct. 17). The series has begun with states that have abolished the death penalty, and focuses on the developments leading to repeal in those states. The issues that brought those states to abolition are often similar to the ones states with the…
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Milestones in Abolition/Reinstatement
In 1915, North Dakota abolished the death penalty except for two crimes: treason and murder committed by an inmate already serving a life sentence. The last remnants of capital punishment were abolished in 1973.
Interesting Facts
North Dakota has carried out only 8 executions in its history.
The last person executed in North Dakota was John Rooney in 1905.
North Dakota State Capitol. Photo by Bobak Ha’Eri.