Biden Stirs Controversy by Commuting 37 out of 40 Death Row Sentences
President Joe Biden made headlines on Monday after commuting the sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates, reducing the sentences of 37 out of 40 men currently on death row. This sweeping move is part of Biden’s continued efforts to reform the justice system, according to a statement from the White House.
The decision has sparked controversy, as the commuted inmates include individuals convicted of heinous crimes, including child murders and mass killings.
In a statement, Biden emphasized his opposition to the death penalty at the federal level.
“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” he said.
“But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice President, and now President, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”
The men affected by the commutations had been sentenced to death for committing serious and violent crimes. Among those whose sentences have been commuted is Thomas Sanders, convicted of the 2010 kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts. Sanders shot the young girl four times and slit her throat, following the murder of her mother during a road trip to the Grand Canyon, according to Fox News.
Another individual benefiting from Biden’s decision is Jorge Avila-Torrez, who was convicted of the brutal 2005 murders of two young girls, Laura Hobbs, 8, and Krystal Tobias, 9, in Chicago. Avila-Torrez also went on to murder naval officer Amanda Snell in 2009.
Kaboni Savage, a notorious Philadelphia drug dealer, is also among those whose death sentence was commuted. Savage had been convicted for the deaths of 12 people, including four children, over 16 years. His crimes included orchestrating a deadly arson attack that killed six members of a federal informant’s family.
Other individuals whose death sentences have been reduced include Brandon Basham and Chadrick Fulks, who were convicted of kidnapping and murdering a woman after escaping from prison.
However, three individuals remain on death row. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was convicted for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, killing three and injuring hundreds, will not have his sentence commuted. Dylann Roof, responsible for the 2015 mass shooting at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, which killed nine black parishioners, will also remain on death row. Similarly, Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018, will not have his sentence commuted.
While Biden’s commutations have been praised by some, including former corrections officers and groups advocating for criminal justice reform, the decision has generated backlash. Critics, including Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), have condemned the move as “senseless” and “outrageous,” calling it an example of the administration’s “upside down and backwards ideology.”
President Biden's decision to commute the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates is not just senseless—it's an outrageous example of this administration's upside down and backwards ideology.
From leaving our borders wide open to enabling cartels and gutting American energy,… pic.twitter.com/EUZ9YFzaul
— Congressman Dan Meuser (@RepMeuser) December 23, 2024
On social media, many users expressed frustration with Biden’s actions. One user, TaraBull, wrote, “So Biden is too senile to stand trial but mentally fit enough to commute the sentences of criminals? Make it make sense.”
Former Fox News and Newsmax producer Breanna Morello referred to the 37 men as “animals” and listed the violent crimes that led to their convictions.
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