Death penalty in Michigan???? Story from www.detnews.com


U.S. court in Detroit hears possible death penalty case

DETROIT -- Opening arguments were to begin today in what could be the federal government's first death penalty case in eastern Michigan in 65 years.

John Bass is charged with two drug-related murders and supplying crack cocaine from Detroit to Canton, Ohio.

In 1989 in Detroit, Bass and his brother, Patrick, began a street gang called the Dog Pound, so named because its members had as many as 30 pit bulls, the government says. They sold crack cocaine in Detroit, Pontiac and Canton, Ohio, the indictment says.

Bass arranged for his brother's murder to "eliminate a rival and take complete control over the combined drug operations," the government's indictment says.

At least six people are awaiting trial in Michigan on charges that could bring the death penalty.

Milton "Butch" Jones, Raymond Canty and Eugene Mitchell are to go on trial this fall before U.S. District Judge John Corbett O'Meara. The three are charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and with the killing of three people.

In 1846, Michigan became the first English-speaking government to outlaw capital punishment, except for treason, on state charges. Only two people have been sentenced to die in Michigan since then, both for federal crimes.

The last execution in Michigan was in 1938, when Anthony Chebatoris was hanged for killing a truck driver while robbing a federal depository in Midland. Marvin Gabrion was sentenced to death in March 2002 for the death of a 19-year-old whose body was found floating in a lake in the Manistee National Forest. His appeal is pending.

Robert and Michael Ostrander of Cadillac await trial in the drug-related slaying of Hansel Andrews of Kalkaska. They could be sentenced to death because the death occurred on national forest land.

The Justice Department's death penalty committee met last month to decide whether to seek the sentence against Thelmon Stuckey III, who faces trial in 1996 death of former Detroit Police Officer Ricardo Darbins, a suspected drug dealer. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft will make the final decision

Thanks for posting this, Decochick. It's a very interesting eye-opener. I think we all were in tacit agreement that one civilized thing about the Michigan judicial system was that no one here ever had to worry about execution....but I forgot about federal charges.

I never knew that! Does Michigan even have the facilities to put someone to death? Or would they go out of state to do that? Stupid question, but I am totally amazed by this.
So, if someone commits a crime in Michigan, a crime that is a federal charge, they can be put to death here?

Yes Jeni, if it's a federal crime.... Maybe they put them to death in another state that would be set up for it? I don't know...

Deb

I did not know that! So it really doesn't matter if you vote Democrat or Republican, all the same crap.

Hi. I'm familiar with all three cases (Bass, Jones and Stuckey) mentioned in the article.

Bass was convicted, and the jury voted to give him life in prison. Interestingly, Bass and the USA attorney's office had worked out a deal where he would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence.

Ashcroft's office, which has the final say on these matters, stepped in and vetoed it at the last minute.

They did the same thing to Jones, whose trial is still a ways off.

Finally, it was announced today (9/3) that the feds are not seeking a death sentence against Stuckey (who is probably the most innocent of the bunch).

See this link for information about another case (in western Michigan) and about Ashcroft's practice of pushing the federal death penalty in non death penalty states and his habit of over-ruling local US Attorneys:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-10/106208225284460.xml

If someone in Michigan is convicted and sentenced under federal death penalty rules, they are taken to the federal facility in Terre Haute, indiana. A guy from western Michigan is currently on federal death row after he was convicted last year.

Whoever mentioned trhat political party doesn't matter is probably correct. This is all part of a larger pattern to expand the death penalty in the United States. Clinton's big crime bill (1994?) created dozens of new death penalty offenses; Ashcroft has been the one pushing it.

Welcome to PTO! Thank you for that update.

Crazy stuff. stumbled upon this site looking for info on this case. I grew up with the Ostranders.... The only girl of 6 siblings was my best friend. Sad to hear. I knew it happened but they wouldnt tell me the details. tragic.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117047411173597172-2el1QRyn4eonArFvLSrezcF1wFU_20080203.html?mod=blog s

I have been told by someone who has been doing some of the investigating on cases that the prosecutor's are looking at ways to make state cases federal so they can ask for the death penalty.

Wow.

Yep! I heard that too! I think I heard something about MI wanting to move this case out of the state because we don't have the death penalty here and that is what was being pursued. From my understanding the Feds are mandating that is happen here because they want to push the issue with MI.