Massachusetts is marking 99 years this Sunday since Sacco and Vanzetti were put to death at Charlestown State Prison.
Why it matters: The case against two Italian-born anarchists is still debated a century later.
Catch up quick: The 1927 executions were the result of the pair’s conviction in a Braintree payroll robbery-murder.
- The case drew global protests and remains a touchstone in debates over anti-immigrant bias and judicial fairness.
Flashback: A jury convicted Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in 1921 and appeals were unsuccessful despite contested ballistics evidence and a third party’s confession.
- Gov. Michael Dukakis proclaimed in 1977 that they’d been unfairly tried, but he stopped short of a pardon.
What’s next: Next Aug. 23 marks the 100th anniversary, when we’ll likely see renewed commemorations, museum exhibits and fresh scrutiny of the case’s legal legacy…