Washington, DC (December 23, 2024) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) emphatically commends President Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of 37 of 40 individuals on federal death row. Last month, NACDL joined with a coalition of defense community leaders to call on President Biden to take a stand against the death penalty by commuting federal death sentences to life without parole. NACDL is grateful to President Biden for heeding this call. NACDL opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and supports reforms to ensure that innocent persons are not executed. Purely retributive in nature — countless studies show that it does not deter crime — the death penalty is unjust, uncivilized, and inconsistent with the fallibility of our justice system.
"Clemency is a powerful tool in the fight to redress the injustices of our harsh system," said NACDL President Christopher Wellborn. "Looking towards the next presidential administration, it is imperative we continue to work towards a system that puts mercy before retribution. We are grateful for this announcement as an important step in the fight against the death penalty."
"We are grateful to President Biden for taking a stand against the death penalty," said NACDL Executive Director Lisa Wayne. "The death penalty is a stain on our criminal legal system. We are deeply concerned by President Trump’s promise to resume federal executions. As states have increased executions, we’ve watched a cascade of horrors follow – from use of nitrogen gas to disregard for evidence of innocence. By commuting the sentences of individuals on death row to life without parole, President Biden has provided a measure of justice in our inhumane system."
