Trump administration to resume capital punishment
WASHINGTON — For the first time in more than 16 years, the federal government will resume using the death penalty, as Attorney General William Barr announced last week that five federal inmates would be put to death for their crimes, with the first execution scheduled for Dec. 9 .
“Congress has expressly authorized the death penalty through legislation adopted by the peo- ple’s representatives i n both houses of Congress and signed by the Pres- ident,” Barr said in a written statement released by the Justice Department.
Five execution dates were announced by Barr for inmates convicted of Five inmates are now been used by 14 states in murder, starting with Dan- scheduled for executions recent years for executions. iel Lewis Lee, a member of in December and early JanThe move drew immedia white supremacist group, uary at a federal prison in ate opposition. “Too many who murdered a family of Terre Haute, Indiana, as the innocent people have been three in Arkansas, and was Justice Department noted put to death,” said presidenfound guilty in May 1999. that all five have “exhausted tial candidate Sen. Kamala
“The Justice Department their appellate and post-con- Harris, D-Calif. “We need a upholds the rule of law — and viction remedies, and cur- moratorium on the death we owe it to the victims and rently no legal impediments penalty, not a resurrection.” their families to carry forprevent their executions.” “There’s enough violence ward the sentence imposed The announcement said in the world. The governby our justice system,” Barr the inmates would be put ment shouldn’t add to it,” added. to death using a single lethal said presidential candidate
The last federal execution injection drug, pentobarbi- Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vertook place in 2003. tal, which the feds say has mont.
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