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December 23, 2024
Prez Biden commutes to LWOP the federal death sentences of 37 murderers
As reported in this AP piece, "President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office." Here is more:
The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities.
It means just three federal inmates are still facing execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.
The White House has these releases detailing this notable clemency action: "FACT SHEET: President Biden Commutes the Sentences of 37 Individuals on Death Row" and "Statement from President Joe Biden on Federal Death Row Commutations." The "Fact Sheet" in part discusses Prez Biden's clemency record and concludes with this notable sentence: "In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations." On the capital clemencies, the statement from Prez Biden is relatively short, and here it is in full:
I’ve dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system.
Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on federal death row to life sentences without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.
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.
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.
I mused a bit in this post over the weekend about a few legal issues that could follow these commutations, and one involved whether Prez Biden might include pending capital cases in any blanket clemency effort. It appears he did not here (though he still has four weeks with the clemency pen).
Prior recent related post:
December 23, 2024 at 09:04 AM | Permalink
Comments
Mercy is worth it.
Posted by: Jon S - public defender | Dec 23, 2024 11:15:58 AM
Of course, Biden’s words are a lie. It’s politics, not principle.
If this was a principled stand against the DP, he would have commuted all 40.
Posted by: TarlsQtr | Dec 23, 2024 11:23:26 AM
So close.
Posted by: shg | Dec 23, 2024 11:30:29 AM
President Biden, well done!
Posted by: anon | Dec 23, 2024 12:11:32 PM
I am relieved that he left in place the death sentences of the three very worst.
I still find it troubling. For example, if one is already serving a life sentence, what is the deterrent to murdering another prisoner?
Posted by: William Jockusch | Dec 23, 2024 2:13:59 PM
I strongly disagree with the commutation of one inmate, Mr. Savage. His death penalty was based upon his convictions for involvement in the killing of 12 participants in a Pennsylvania drug distribution conspiracy. No one who participated in the murders of 12 people should ever have their death sentence commuted to life in prison without parole.
Posted by: Jim Gormley | Dec 23, 2024 11:34:01 PM
William,
Nine had already killed fellow inmates.
Posted by: TarlsQtr | Dec 24, 2024 1:35:18 PM
Anyone know where the three that are left are in their appeal/2255 process? Are they now or will they be execution eligible during President Trump's term?
Posted by: Webb Wassmer | Dec 24, 2024 3:08:47 PM
Tsarnaev's direct appeal is on remand on a for cause challenge issue.
I think Bowers is still on direct appeal as he was only sentenced last year.
Roof should be somewhere in the 2255 stage as his direct appeal was denied. The denial of cert came in October 22 which should have made the 2255 due in late 2023. I assume that it is still in district court. Since he represented himself, I am not sure what he potentially has.
I think Roof is the only one that possibly could have cert denied on the 2255 before January 2029 assuming the normal time that it takes to resolve those.
Posted by: tmm | Dec 24, 2024 4:17:13 PM
TarlsQtr --
"Nine had already killed fellow inmates."
And they're nowhere near finished, since the smart move for these guys is to gamble on another Democratic, pro-murder President after Trump. Freebie murder. This is the Left's version of compassion.
I'll bet $500 here and now that, within the next two years, at least one of these guys is going to kill again. And none of the pro-clemency people on this thread will give a good G*d damn.
Posted by: Bill Otis | Dec 26, 2024 6:14:37 PM
Biden believes in the death penalty. He knew damned well that his open borders policies would get people killed . . . . Funny how the death penalty is ok for Laken Riley, but not ok for a child-murderer. And people wonder why Trump won.
Posted by: federalist | Dec 27, 2024 10:47:50 AM
Did a check of PACER on Roof. It looks like the government, on three separate occasions agreed to extend the deadline for filing a 2255 and waive any statute of limitations objection to the late 2255. The current deadline is in April. I am assuming that there will be no further agreements after January 20th.
Based on this information, I would put it at 50-50 that Roof's case is finished before January 2029. As the other two cases will not be final on direct appeal until later this year (at the earliest) and the defendants will have a year (until the latter part of 2026) to file their 2255s, I would put the odds that either is done before January 2029 at slim and none.
Posted by: tmm | Dec 30, 2024 10:56:35 AM
