Praise and outrage follow Biden’s decision to commute federal death row sentences
CNN
President Joe Biden’s announcement that he’s taking 37 people off federal death row resulted in praise from some families and deep disappointment from others.
President Joe Biden’s announcement that he’s taking 37 people off federal death row resulted in praise from some families and deep disappointment from others. The 37 inmates impacted by the decision, whose crimes include murders tied to drug trafficking and the killings of prison guards or other inmates, will instead serve life sentences. “Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden said in a statement. “But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice President, and now President, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.” During Biden’s presidency, the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, halted federal executions while officials review their policies and protocol. President-elect Donald Trump has indicated he will restart federal executions and expand the reach of capital punishment under federal law when he takes office.
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