Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety

DateIssued:January20,2025

Topic:CriminalJustice WHATDOESTHISEXECUTIVEORDERDO?

ThisorderdirectstheAttorneyGeneraltoresumefederalexecutionsand outlinestheTrumpAdministration’sstanceinfavorofthedeathpenalty. ItalsoinstructstheAttorneyGeneraltomotivateStateattorneysgeneral anddistrictattorneystobringStatecapitalchargesforallcapital crimes.

Theorderestablishesthefederalgovernment’sinterestinpursuingthe deathpenaltyforundocumentedimmigrantsaccusedofviolentcrimes andanyoneaccusedofmurderinglawenforcementofficers.

Inhislastmonthinoffice,formerPresidentBidencommutedthe sentenceof37deathrowinmates,whoarenowservinglifesentences withnoopportunityforparole.Inthisorder,PresidentTrumpdirectsthe AttorneyGeneralto“takealllawfulandappropriateactiontoensurethat theseoffendersareimprisonedinconditionsconsistentwiththe monstrosityoftheircrimesandthethreatstheypose.”Theorderalso instructstheAttorneyGeneraltodetermineifthoseprisonersareeligible fordeathrowonthestatelevelandadvisethelegalauthoritiesinthat jurisdiction.

Intheorder,PresidentTrumpexpressesexplicitintenttooverrule SupremeCourtprecedentsthat“limittheauthorityofStateandFederal governmentstoimposecapitalpunishment”andaskstheAttorney Generaltoprosecutecasesinconsiderationofthisdirective.

HOWWILLTHISEXECUTIVEORDERBEENFORCED?

ThisorderrescindsformerPresidentBiden’smoratoriumonfederal executionsandinstructstheAttorneyGeneralto“pursuethedeath penaltyforallcrimesofaseveritydemandingitsuse.”

TheordercompelstheAttorneyGeneraltoinfluencestate-levellegal proceedingsinordertoincreasethenumberofdeathpenaltyconvictions.

Intheorder,theAttorneyGeneralisinstructedto“encourageState attorneysgeneralanddistrictattorneystobringStatecapitalchargesfor allcapitalcrimes.”

TheorderalsoimplorestheAttorneyGeneraltoensurethatstateswith capitalpunishmenthave“asufficientsupplyofdrugsneededtocarryout lethalinjection.”

Additionally,theorderstatesthatfederallawenforcementshould coordinatewithStateandlocallawenforcementwherepossible. However,italsoassertstheauthorityoftheAttorneyGeneraltoseek federaljurisdictionoverthesecasestofacilitatetheobjectivesoutlinedin theorder.Theorderspecificallyreferencescapitalcrimescommittedby undocumentedimmigrantsandmurderchargeswherethevictimsare lawenforcementofficialsasrelevanttofederalinterests.

ThisorderwillbeenforcedbytheAttorneyGeneral,buttheorderalso modifiestheJusticeManual,whichprovidesgeneralguidancetoU.S. AttorneysandJusticeDepartmentemployeeswhoprosecutefederal crimes.

HOWDOESTHISIMPACTBLACKCOMMUNITIES?

TheTrumpAdministration’seffortstoincreasetheuseofthedeath penaltycouldhavecatastrophicimplicationsforBlackdeathrow inmates,asthedeathpenaltyhasadisproportionateimpactonBlack communities.Blackpeoplecompriseroughly13%oftheU.S.population, butover50%ofthedeathrowpopulation.TheU.S.criminaljusticesystem isalsoflawed,andinnocentBlackpeoplehavefaceddeathsentences duetoracialbias.Since1973,over200peoplehavebeenexonerated fromdeathrow,andtheNationalRegistryofExonerationsreportedin 2017thatinnocentBlackpeopleareseventimesmorelikelytobe wrongfullyconvictedofmurderthaninnocentwhitepeople.

Theraceofthevictimalsoaffectswhetherthedefendantfacescapital punishment.AstudyfromHarvardLawSchoolfoundthatthose convictedofkillingwhitepeoplearesentencedtodeathrowat seventeentimestherateofthoseconvictedofkillingBlackpeople.In 2024,MarcellusWilliams,aBlackmanconvictedofmurderingawhite woman,wasputtodeathbythestateofMissouri,eventhoughtherewas noDNAevidencelinkinghimtothecrime,andthevictim’shusband advocatedagainsthisexecution.Withthefederalgovernmentand nearly30statesempoweredtopursuethedeathpenaltybecauseofthis executiveorder,BlackAmericansareatgreaterriskoffacingfatal consequencesatthehandsofthejusticesystem.

HOWARECBCMEMBERSRESPONDING?

TheCongressionalBlackCaucus(CBC)hasdemonstratedacommitmentto addressingissuesofracialequityinthecriminallegalsystemandhas spokenoutagainstcapitalpunishmentonseveraloccasions.Mostrecently, inDecemberof2024,theCBCissuedthefollowingstatementinresponseto formerPresidentBidencommutingthesentencesof37deathrowprisoners:

“TheCongressionalBlackCaucushasfordecadesadvocatedforreforms ofourcriminaljusticesystemtoensureequaltreatmentofallpeople underthelaw.Today,wejoincountlessothersinthecivilandhuman rightsspacewho,liketheCBC,haveforyearsadvocatedagainsttheuse ofcapitalpunishmentatthefederallevel,inapplaudingtheBiden-Harris Administrationforthishistoricuseofthepresident'sclemencypowers. ThedeathpenaltyinAmericaisafundamentallyflawedanderrorprone toolthathashistoricallybeendisproportionatelyusedagainstBlack peopleandotherpeopleofcolor.TheCBCthanksPresidentBidenforhis continuedleadershipandcommitmenttoaddressingsystemicracism withinthecriminaljusticesystemandforworkingtosetamoralexample forournation.”

ToreadmoreabouttheCBC’slegacyoncriminaljusticeissues,visitAvoice, ourvirtuallibrary.