Why Biden Left 3 notorious criminals on Federal death row

In a landmark decision on December 23, 2024, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, converting their punishments to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This action aligns with his longstanding opposition to capital punishment. However, he notably excluded three individuals from this clemency: Dylann Roof, Robert Bowers, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. These men are convicted of some of the most heinous crimes in recent U.S. history, raising questions about the rationale behind Biden's selective commutations.

Biden's Stance on the Death Penalty

Throughout his political career, President Biden has expressed a commitment to criminal justice reform, including opposition to the death penalty. During his 2020 presidential campaign, he pledged to work toward abolishing capital punishment at the federal level, citing moral and ethical concerns. In 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a moratorium on federal executions, allowing the administration to review policies and procedures related to the death penalty.

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The Decision to Commute 37 Sentences

The commutation of 37 federal death row inmates' sentences reflects Biden's commitment to reducing the use of capital punishment. These individuals, convicted of various serious offenses, will now serve life sentences without the possibility of parole. This move has been praised by civil rights organizations and advocates for criminal justice reform, who view it as a significant step toward addressing systemic issues within the justice system.

ACLU

The Three Notorious Criminals Excluded

Despite this broad act of clemency, President Biden chose to leave the death sentences of three individuals intact:

Dylann Roof: Convicted of murdering nine African American parishioners at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. Roof's actions were racially motivated, and he has shown no remorse for his crimes.

Robert Bowers: Perpetrator of the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he killed eleven congregants in the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history. Bowers expressed anti-Semitic beliefs and targeted his victims because of their faith.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: One of the brothers responsible for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which resulted in three deaths and hundreds of injuries. Tsarnaev was also involved in the subsequent murder of a police officer during the manhunt that followed the bombing.

Rationale Behind the Decision

President Biden's decision to exclude these three individuals from commutation appears to be influenced by several factors:

Nature of the Crimes: The crimes committed by Roof, Bowers, and Tsarnaev were acts of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder, causing profound harm to specific communities and the nation as a whole. The particularly egregious nature of these offenses likely played a role in the decision to maintain their death sentences.

Public and Victim Impact: The attacks carried out by these individuals had widespread societal impact, instilling fear and trauma beyond the immediate victims. Maintaining their death sentences may be seen as a measure of justice for the victims, survivors, and affected communities.

Legal Precedents and Ongoing Appeals: In the case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the death sentence had been reinstated by the Supreme Court after previous legal challenges. Intervening in such high-profile cases could have complex legal implications and might be perceived as undermining judicial processes.

Balancing Moral Opposition and Justice

President Biden's selective commutations reflect a nuanced approach to the death penalty. While he opposes capital punishment on moral grounds, he has made distinctions based on the severity and nature of certain crimes. This approach suggests an attempt to balance his ethical stance with considerations of justice for crimes that have had a profound impact on the nation.

Reactions to the Decision

The decision has elicited mixed reactions:

Advocates for Abolition: Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have praised the commutation of 37 death sentences as a historic step toward ending federal capital punishment. However, some advocates express disappointment that the commutations were not applied universally.

ACLU

Victims' Families and Affected Communities: For the families and communities directly impacted by the crimes of Roof, Bowers, and Tsarnaev, the decision to maintain their death sentences may be seen as an affirmation of justice. Conversely, some may have preferred life sentences without parole, aligning with broader anti-death penalty sentiments.

Political Opponents: Critics of President Biden may view the commutations as leniency toward serious offenders, potentially using the decision to challenge his administration's stance on crime and justice.

Implications for the Future

President Biden's actions indicate a significant shift in federal policy regarding the death penalty. By commuting the majority of federal death row sentences, he has effectively halted federal executions for the foreseeable future. This move may influence state-level policies and contribute to the ongoing national debate about the morality and efficacy of capital punishment.

Conclusion

President Biden's decision to commute the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, while leaving the death sentences of three notorious criminals intact, underscores the complexities inherent in the debate over capital punishment. It reflects an effort to reconcile moral opposition to the death penalty with the demands for justice in cases of extreme and heinous crimes. As the nation continues to grapple with these issues, this decision marks a pivotal moment in the evolving landscape of American criminal justice.