Biden commutes 37 death sentences amid Trump's capital push
Joe Biden has commuted the death sentences of 37 prisoners to life imprisonment, reports the "New York Times." This decision is especially significant in light of Donald Trump's plans to lift the moratorium on executions.
Biden has long advocated for the abolition of the federal death penalty. He implemented a moratorium on its enforcement and has now commuted the sentences of those convicted of murder to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
"I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level," the President stated in a release issued on Monday.
The act of clemency does not cover three individuals guilty of mass killings, including Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. The Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for Tsarnaev in March 2022.
Trump wants to expand the list of crimes punishable by death
The "NYT" notes that last week, Biden spoke with Pope Francis, who is advocating for the commutation of death sentences to life imprisonment. Catholic bishops in the U.S. have also appealed for a halt to executions.
Donald Trump, a proponent of the death penalty, has called for expanding the list of crimes punishable by this penalty. During his first term, he lifted the moratorium on executions.
According to "NYT," Trump wants the death penalty to apply to, among others, illegal immigrants who have killed an American citizen or a police officer, as well as drug dealers and human traffickers.
Historic act of clemency. Previous record held by Obama
On December 12, Biden reduced the sentences of nearly 1,500 inmates and pardoned 39 convicted of non-violent crimes. According to the White House, this represents the largest act of clemency in U.S. history by a president.
Previously, the record was held by Barack Obama, who pardoned 330 people convicted of drug offences in a single day.
The media speculate that Biden is considering "preventive" pardons for individuals at risk of retaliation under the president-elect and prosecution by the new administration. This includes Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump accused of treason, and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
