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Biden commutes 37 of 40 death sentences to life in prison

Updated Dec 23, 2024, 6:57am EST
North America
Joe Biden delivers remarks from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC
Nathan Howard/Reuters
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Outgoing US President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment Monday, a move that will be celebrated by civil rights groups but provoke sharp criticism from Republicans.

Biden “took a historic and courageous step in addressing the failed death penalty in the United States,” said Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union.

“With a stroke of his pen, the President locks in his legacy as a leader who stands for racial justice, humanity, and morality. This will undoubtedly be one of the seminal achievements of the Biden presidency,” he added.

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The White House released a list of 37 death row inmates who will have their sentences changed to life in prison without parole, dealing a blow to incoming President Donald Trump’s plans to increase the use of the death penalty.

“I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level,” Biden said in a statement. “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”

The list has three noteworthy exceptions: Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Tree of Life synagogue shooter Robert Bowers, and Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof.

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