Biden decides to commute death row inmates’ sentences
President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting them to life in prison.
Seven Texas inmates were among the 37 federal death row inmates whose sentences were commuted by President Joe Biden on Monday.
These sentences will now be life imprisonment without parole.
What we know: President Biden commuted the sentences of seven Texas inmates previously sentenced to death.
Six of these inmates were sentenced to death for killing other inmates inside the Federal Correctional Facility in Beaumont, Texas.
Shannon Wayne Agofsky was serving a life sentence when he bludgeoned another inmate to death.Christopher Kramer and Ricky Allen Fackrell were sentenced to death in 2018 after stabbing another inmate to death.Jospeh Ebron stabbed another inmate to death.Mark Isaac Snarr and Edgar Garcia stabbed an inmate to death and also stabbed two correctional officers.
Another man, Julius Omar Robinson, was sentenced to death for killing two men in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
By the numbers: Biden on Monday commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 federal death row inmates as part of a policy that says the death penalty should be reserved for mass killings motivated by terrorism and hatred.
Read more: Biden to give most federal death row inmates life sentences: What you need to know
Last month, Biden pardoned about 1,500 Americans who have “demonstrated a strong commitment to successfully reintegrate into society and make their communities safer.”
What they say: “I have dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system.
“Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 federal death row inmates to life in prison without the possibility of parole. consistent with the moratorium on motivated mass murder.
“Make no mistake about it: I condemn these murderers, I mourn the victims of their dastardly acts, and my heart goes out to all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss.
“But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president, and now president, I have always believed that the use of the death penalty must end at the federal level. I firmly believe that, in good conscience, I cannot stand still and force the new administration to resume executions,” Biden said.
The backstory: The president halted federal executions when he took office.
He is said to oppose the use of the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of mass murder motivated by terrorism or hatred.
Biden said the pardon could prevent President-elect Donald Trump from carrying out the death penalty for someone Biden says should not be sentenced to death under current policy.
The president commuted the most sentences of any recent first-term president.
He previously granted blanket pardons to individuals convicted of simple possession of marijuana and former military personnel convicted of personal conduct based on sexual orientation.
Texas Crime and Public Safety Joe Biden
