President Joe Biden announced today (Monday) a series of sentence commutations for 37 death row inmates, who will now serve life in prison without the possibility of parole instead of facing execution.
However, Biden refused to commute the sentences of three death row inmates: Robert Bowers, who murdered 11 Jews in the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh; Dylan Roof, a neo-Nazi who killed nine people in a Black church; and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who carried out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
"President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and efficient justice system. He believes America must end the use of the federal death penalty, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder," the White House statement read.
The White House also stated that "this historic clemency action builds on the President's record of criminal justice reform. The President has issued more clemency actions at this point in his presidency than any of his predecessors at the same point in their first term."
"Earlier this month, the President announced pardons for approximately 1,500 Americans - the highest number of pardons ever issued in a single day."
Earlier this month, Biden infuriated many Americans when, contrary to his previous statements, he announced a pardon for his son Hunter Biden, who was charged with tax violations and illegal weapon possession.
The younger Biden was set to face trial in both cases, but his father's pardon will lead to their closure. The outgoing president executed the pardon despite previously declaring he would not use his authority to pardon his son.
"The charges against him came as a result of attempts by my political rivals in Congress to harm me," Biden said in a statement, adding: "No reasonable person looking at the facts of Hunter's cases could reach any conclusion other than that Hunter was targeted only because he is my son."
Arutz Sheva contributed to this article.
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