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Joe Biden commutes sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

9 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The clemency action applies to all federal death row inmates except three convicted of terrorism or hate-motivated mass murder: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, convicted of carrying out the 2013 Boston marathon bombing attack; Dylann Roof, who shot dead nine Black church members in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; and Robert Bowers, who stormed a synagogue in the heart of Pittsburgh's Jewish community and killed 11 worshippers in 2018.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I don’t find this to be some moral win. He still clearly believes he gets to decide who dies.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 days ago

no offense but: i can't believe that a statist society, which gives the state a monopoly on violence, gets to decide who lives or dies

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Previously, Biden put a moratorium on federal executions. This just further extends that until new death row inmates are sentenced.

So I don't think he believed he gets to decide who dies. He's never supported the death penalty afaik.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

So I don’t think he believed he gets to decide who dies. He’s never supported the death penalty afaik.

He chose to exclude the three mentioned though. So clearly he's compromising for crimes he or his base see as unforgivably evil.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Have you considered that the 3 he didn't commute were chosen not because they deserve death, but are too dangerous to be set free?

The Boston Marathon bomber and 2 people who attacked religious ceremonies. These are people who are more likely to go on and try again. And each of their crimes resulted in multiple deaths the first time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 hours ago

Unless you think they're particularly likely to escape, I don't see the difference between death and life without parole as regards "too dangerous to set free". The unabomber died in prison serving out that very sentence.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

So, someone else chose to not do the same for those last three or he didn’t have the power?