June 29: Supreme Court rules on death penalty

On this date in History ..... June 29, 1972:

For the first time, the Supreme Court rules against the death penalty, in Furman v. Georgia, calling it “cruel and unusual punishment” as it was currently used, saying that states primarily used it in “arbitrary and capricious ways especially in regard to race.” However, the Court also suggested legislation that would make it constitutional again, such as guidelines for juries that were standardized as they applied to sentencing. 

As a result of this ruling over 600 prisoners had their death sentences lifted, including Charles Manson, and Richard Speck  (murdered 8 student nurses in Chicago 1966).  

Four years later, the Court acknowledged that progress in this regard had been made and reinstated the use of the death penalty. Gary Gilmore was the first to die under the new ruling, famous for his last words of “Let’s do it.”

January 17: Gary Gilmore

On this date in History .... 1977:

Gary Gilmore is executed by firing squad, becoming the first person to be executed since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. 

In 1972, the Supreme Court had ruled the death penalty was in violation of the 8^th Amendment as “cruel and unusual punishment”, but overturned itself in 1976 when 66% of the public supported it. However, the Court added that states had to create specific guidelines for imposing death penalties.

Career criminal Gilmore was found guilty for the double murder of an elderly couple when they wouldn’t loan him their car. Much to Gilmore’s irritation, the ACLU kept intervening to get him stays of execution that Gilmore did not want. 

At the time, Utah had two methods: firing squad and hanging.  Gilmore chose his method of execution, saying, “I prefer to be shot.” As he faced the Utah volunteer firing squad, his last words were “Let’s do this.”

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