Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, infamous for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, stands as one of the three individuals on federal death row who will not have their sentence commuted by the Biden administration. In a rather questionable display of decision-making, President Joe Biden decided that he would commute the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates. This seemed to be a weak attempt at blocking his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, from proceeding with previously halted executions.
His administration enforced a moratorium on executions, but this moratorium conspicuously excludes those guilty of terrorism and hate-motivated mass killings. This move by the Biden administration glosses over the fact that the Boston Marathon bombing took the lives of three individuals and injured over 260 others. The individuals benefitting from Biden’s unusual clemency do not include the likes of Robert Bowers and Dylann Roof.
Bowers stands convicted for the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh that resulted in the death of 11 people. Roof, on the other hand, was found guilty of carrying out the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emanuel, an African American church in Charleston, South Carolina where nine innocent lives were lost. Instead of prioritizing the rights of these victims, Biden seems more concerned with commuting sentences.
Among those favored by Biden’s sweeping clemency is Thomas Steven Sanders, a man sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana; and Len Davis, a former police officer who ordered the killing of a woman following her filing of a complaint against him with the Internal Affairs Division of the New Orleans Police Department. Also included is Richard Allen Jackson, convicted for the heinous crimes of kidnapping, raping, and murdering a 22-year-old female jogger in Asheville, North Carolina.
During the course of his presidential campaign, Biden assured voters that he would bring an end to the death penalty. In a brazen effort to appear compassionate, he says, ‘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 further continued with his stance against the death penalty when he added, ‘I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.’ Could it be seen as an attempt to trample on the rights of the victims and their families in favor of criminals?
Evidence of Biden’s excessive utilization of his clemency powers is plain to see. With a stroke of a pen, he has commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who had been on home confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this month. The White House labeled this as ‘the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history’. Is this an act of mercy or just a reckless discharge of executive powers?
Aside from the mass commutations, Biden also granted pardons to 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes. Again, one has to wonder, is the Biden administration more focused on wiping the slate clean for convicts rather than striving to ensure justice for the victims?
Americans ought to question this pattern, as it seems that Biden is disturbingly eager to grant clemency to criminals, many of whom have committed heinous crimes. What message does this send to crime victims and the rest of society? Isn’t law and order a constitutional promise to the American people?
It appears that the Biden administration contends with the democratic principles of justice. Will their policies continue to favor criminals over the victims and their families?
Such broad use of the clemency powers certainly raises eyebrows. Shouldn’t the administration be more concerned with curbing rampant crime and ensuring public safety?
This approach to handling heinous crimes could be seen as undermining the justice our society deeply values. Is the Biden administration saying consequences don’t matter for such stark displays of criminal behavior?
Perhaps, more thought should be given to the rights of victims and their families, instead of effectively aimed at gaining the support of those seemingly eager to bend the rules of justice.
A closer look at these policies reveals a disturbing trend in Biden’s administration. It doesn’t go unnoticed that there is a dangerous leniency towards perpetrators of serious crimes.
As we take a step back and look at the broader ramifications, this situation begs us to ask: Is this the new standard of justice under the Biden administration? Only time will tell if this is a momentary lapse in judgment or a troubling sign of what’s to come.