Some felt that Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted because ofanti-immigrant bias present in the US at the time. They were nothelped by their self-identification as anarchists, such groupshaving committed many violent acts against governments in Europe,and some in the US. Evidence that might not have seemed convincingin other cases was enough to convict them of a capital crime.It should also be noted that even some people who agreed withthe guilty verdict were not comfortable having anyone put to death;those people believed Sacco and Vanzetti should have received lifein prison rather than the death penalty.