NEW: Joe Biden has a moral, ethical responsibility to clear the federal death row

Tonight, at Law Dork: www.lawdork.com/p/joe-biden-...

Joe Biden has a moral, ethical responsibility to clear the federal death row
The Biden administration must do all it can to unwind the federal death penalty. Also: News on Texas's death penalty. And, for paid subscribers: Closing my tabs.

Chris Geidner
Nov 17, 2024 ∙ Paid

President Joe Biden has less than 64 days left in office. ... Across the federal government, there are efforts to protect people, programs, policies, and priorities against efforts by Donald Trump and the new administration to fire, end, halt, and reverse them.

In many of those areas, a coordinated, smart incoming presidential administration could do much to accomplish those aims. That does not describe the incoming administration, but they certainly will be able to accomplish significant changes — and will do so. It is “elections have consequences” in practice. And yet, there are several areas where the outgoing administration can take action that cannot be reversed.

One of those areas is executions. ... Biden can — and must — take the step advocates and some lawmakers have been asking him to take for nearly four years: Clear the federal death row.

Biden must use his pardon power to commute the death sentences of those on federal death row to sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Do it.

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