Biden Commutes 37 Death Sentences, Leaving Only Notable Killers on Federal Death Row
US President Joe Biden, on Monday, commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 federal inmates, taking action ahead of the return of Donald Trump, who oversaw a significant number of lethal injections during his presidency.
With less than a month left in office, Biden faced mounting pressure from death penalty opponents to reduce the sentences of those on death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Now, 37 inmates will serve life sentences under this decision.
This commutation leaves a small group of individuals, including notorious offenders motivated by hate or terrorism, who will remain subject to the federal death penalty. “These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder,” Biden stated.
The three individuals who will remain on federal death row include Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, responsible for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; Dylann Roof, who killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina; and Robert Bowers, who killed 11 Jewish worshippers in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.
Biden’s decision follows his long-standing opposition to the death penalty, a position he campaigned on during the 2020 presidential election. His administration has upheld a moratorium on federal executions, except in cases involving terrorism or mass murder driven by hate.
The move contrasts sharply with former President Trump’s stance on capital punishment, as Trump had called for its expansion during his tenure, overseeing a record number of federal executions. Since Biden’s moratorium, no federal executions have taken place, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to capital punishment.
