President Biden Commuted 37 Federal Death Sentences
On Monday, November 7th, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, a decision he attributed to his conscience. This action, however, did not extend to three individuals convicted of hate-motivated mass shootings and terrorism: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Marathon bombing), Dylann Roof (Charleston church shooting), and Robert Bowers (Tree of Life synagogue shooting). Their death sentences remain unchanged.
Biden, who implemented a moratorium on federal executions during his administration, converted the 37 death sentences to life imprisonment without parole. He emphasized his lifelong commitment to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system, stating: “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.”
This action followed previous clemency efforts, including the December 12th commutation of sentences for 1,500 individuals in home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and the granting of pardons to 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes. However, the commutations drew criticism, notably from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, for the inclusion of a Pennsylvania judge convicted in the “Cash for Kids” scheme, a scandal involving the judge sending children to prison in exchange for kickbacks from a private jail.
The decision also came amidst pressure from death penalty abolition advocates and some U.S. House Democrats, who urged Biden to act before the anticipated return of President-elect Donald Trump, who had expedited several federal executions during his previous term. Trump’s transition spokesman, Steven Cheung, sharply criticized the commutations, stating that they were a “slap in the face to the victims, their families, and their loved ones,” and asserting that President Trump upholds the rule of law.
The White House released a list of the 37 inmates whose sentences were commuted, including: Shannon Wayne Agofsky, Billie Jerome Allen, Aquilia Marcivicci Barnette, Brandon Leon Basham, Anthony George Battle, Meier Jason Brown, Carlos David Caro, Wesley Paul Coonce, Jr., Brandon Michael Council, Christopher Emory Cramer, Len Davis, Joseph Ebron, Ricky Allen Fackrell, Edward Leon Fields, Jr., Chadrick Evan Fulks, Marvin Charles Gabrion, II, Edgar Baltazar Garcia, Thomas Morocco Hager, Charles Michael Hall, Norris G. Holder, Richard Allen Jackson, Jurijus Kadamovas, Daryl Lawrence, Iouri Mikhel, Ronald Mikos, James H. Roane, Jr., Julius Omar Robinson, David Anthony Runyon, Ricardo Sanchez, Jr., Thomas Steven Sanders, Kaboni Savage, Mark Isaac Snarr, Rejon Taylor, Richard Tipton, Jorge Avila Torrez, Daniel Troya, and Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umaña.