Biden commutes all but 3 federal death sentences

[Anonymous]

I fail to follow the logic of Biden's actions. Either commute all, or commute none. Every single one of the death row inmates has committed awful crimes that devastated families and communities. They were all spared except for the three that are officially "terrorists." But the Biden definition of what is a terrorist is unclear. Luigi is a terrorist for shooting a CEO and the government is pursuing the death penalty for him. But the foreigner who snuck across the border and burned a woman alive on a NY subway is not a terrorist. It seems the terrorism designation is applied whimsically. That Biden is saving all these horrendous men while remaining committed to executing Luigi is interesting to say the least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is exactly why Dems lost this election. You simply cannot grant clemency based on your own morals if who is more evil - you have to take away the death penalty in ALL cases or not at all. For all you who suggest this is the right move - what do you say to the families whose family were brutally murdered? Would your kid or loved one be gruesomely violently killed and the assailant found guilty and out of death row - how would you feel knowing this decision wouldn't stand yet another murder can be put to death?

No, the Dems lost the election because Trump & co. promised that their supporters' lives would improve. No moral calculus was involved. Only self-interest.

As opposed to democrats voting in their self-interests, lolz?!?!

Do you even hear yourself????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biden probably just saved about $1 billion in legal expenses for the federal government.

When will DOGE send a congratulatory tweet?

He could have just executed them and saved the money - now we have to pay for their care and medical treatment for life.

So no.

Life sentences are cheaper than death penalty cases which cost a ton of money for prosecutors and federal public defenders.
https://www.amnestyusa.org/issues/death-penalty/death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-cost/#:~:text=Recent%20Cost%20Studies&text=In%20Tennessee%2C%20death%20penalty%20trials,which%20prosecutors%20seek%20life%20imprisonment.&text=In%20Maryland%20death%20penalty%20cases,million%20for%20a%20single%20case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biden probably just saved about $1 billion in legal expenses for the federal government.

When will DOGE send a congratulatory tweet?

He could have just executed them and saved the money - now we have to pay for their care and medical treatment for life.

So no.

Life sentences are cheaper than death penalty cases which cost a ton of money for prosecutors and federal public defenders.
https://www.amnestyusa.org/issues/death-penalty/death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-cost/#:~:text=Recent%20Cost%20Studies&text=In%20Tennessee%2C%20death%20penalty%20trials,which%20prosecutors%20seek%20life%20imprisonment.&text=In%20Maryland%20death%20penalty%20cases,million%20for%20a%20single%20case.

But those costs are self inflicted. Texas seems to be rather efficient in executions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh what a horrible thing to do. I'm anti death penalty but to lift everyone but 3 is senseless. Either you are against the concept or not. So all these other crimes can be forgiven? I feel bad for the families and all the people who had put in the work for getting justice. This is simply not the way to go about clemency and justice. Not by choosing which cases after a decision gets death penalty and not when the decision has been made to move forward.

The fact he thinks he's God to decide who gets saved is not about justice. This is exactly why Trump got voted in - this crap the Dems think is somehow a gift is exactly mortifying. There are people whose families were brutally murdered and now they will see no justice for their sufferings because one man decided it wasn't a bad enough crime! But oh - because he would be crucified over the letting go of more high profile crimes played out in the media, that means those murders can receive justice.

What a sham - makes me sick.

The three he didn’t commute are the Boston Marathon bomber, Tree of Life shooting, and Dylan Roof. All three of them motivated by bias and absolutely deserve the death penalty

Same can be said for the monsters who raped, tortured and murdered children. I guess those crimes aren’t as egregious in your mind.

I am prolife but when a person intentionally commits a horrendous crime that takes the life of another, that person has lost the right to life.

[Anonymous]

Biden will be remembered as an ineffective person who was clueless during the majority of his term. This is just one more move that will nail that legacy. Jimmy Carter is celebrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love that he didn’t commute the sentences of Dylan Roof or Robert Bowers - two murders widely celebrated by a portion of Trump’s nationalist rightwing base.

I’ll wager 10 bucks that Trump doesn’t have the fortitude to execute those two.

This move all but guarantees that Trump will make a big celebratory show of executing Tsarnaeov. Maybe even live stream it on Truth Social. It will be grotesque.

It has nothing to do with Trump's fortitude. There will be endless appeals funded by benighted liberals who want Tsarnaeov to be the poster boy for getting away with grotesque behavior. He will probably also be funded by the Innocence Project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this the thread where “conservative Christians” pretend to be Pro Life?

No, it is the thread where you chose to make an inane comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh what a horrible thing to do. I'm anti death penalty but to lift everyone but 3 is senseless. Either you are against the concept or not. So all these other crimes can be forgiven? I feel bad for the families and all the people who had put in the work for getting justice. This is simply not the way to go about clemency and justice. Not by choosing which cases after a decision gets death penalty and not when the decision has been made to move forward.

The fact he thinks he's God to decide who gets saved is not about justice. This is exactly why Trump got voted in - this crap the Dems think is somehow a gift is exactly mortifying. There are people whose families were brutally murdered and now they will see no justice for their sufferings because one man decided it wasn't a bad enough crime! But oh - because he would be crucified over the letting go of more high profile crimes played out in the media, that means those murders can receive justice.

What a sham - makes me sick.

The three he didn’t commute are the Boston Marathon bomber, Tree of Life shooting, and Dylan Roof. All three of them motivated by bias and absolutely deserve the death penalty

The stated reason for the commutations is that the death penalty should never be used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the move. I feel like life in prison without parole is a better deterrent than the death penalty. And from a practical standpoint it costs the government more to sentence somebody to death (due to legal fees for the appeals process) than it does to house them in prison indefinitely.

Life in prison is a worse punishment than the death penalty is what liberal candidates say when they want to sound tough. Then they undo it by saying they would keep the death penalty for the worst of the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a conservative who WAS against the death penalty until I represented the families of murder victims. I still get uncomfortable with States taking lives. With that, Biden should have a day where all these victim families get to line up and tell them about their suffering. He will forget it the next day, but will be catharsis for the victims.

I haven't seen much reporting yet on how the families and friends of the victims feel about Biden's pardoning the criminals. I wonder why Biden didn't have the decency to wait until after Christmas to announce the pardons. He gets the Scrooge Award for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the move. I feel like life in prison without parole is a better deterrent than the death penalty. And from a practical standpoint it costs the government more to sentence somebody to death (due to legal fees for the appeals process) than it does to house them in prison indefinitely.

Not to mention there is no method of execution that is able to overcome the “cruel or inhumane” punishment rule. Lethal injections have been failing and causing grueling painful deaths. There is no humane way to kill someone

They are culling deer with one gunshot to the heart or brain. They could do the same for the criminals for whom you have such sympathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this the thread where “conservative Christians” pretend to be Pro Life?

Is this the comment where the poster equilibrates the life of an unborn child and a ruthless, convicted terrorist?

"All lives matter"

Including the lives of those murdered by these criminals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surprised there isn’t a thread yet (maybe I missed it). Curious how folks are reacting here. I think this is the right move for what it’s worth:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/us/politics/biden-commutes-37-death-sentences.html

I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a conservative who WAS against the death penalty until I represented the families of murder victims. I still get uncomfortable with States taking lives. With that, Biden should have a day where all these victim families get to line up and tell them about their suffering. He will forget it the next day, but will be catharsis for the victims.

I have a family member who was murdered and I can tell you that the death penalty brings no closure. In our case the verdict was life without the possibility of parole. To me, this is a far worse than the death penalty. Two young men were looking at 50-60 years of their life with no hope of freedom. This also eliminates the 20 years of countless appeals before the death sentence is carried out.