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Biden Fails a Death Penalty Abolitionist’s Most Important Test

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The mystery of Joe Biden’s views about capital punishment has finally been solved. His decision to grant clemency to 37 of the 40 people on federal death row shows the depth of his opposition to the death penalty. And his decision to leave three of America’s most notorious killers to be executed by a future administration shows the limits of his abolitionist commitment. The three men excluded from Biden’s mass clemency—Dylann Roof, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers—would no doubt pose a severe test of anyone’s resolve to end the death penalty. Biden failed that test.
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Texas Polunsky Unit: 3 shot in escape attempt

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Three people are hospitalized with gunshot wounds following an escape attempt at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit in Livingston.

The escape attempt, involving 5 inmates, occurred just after 9 p.m. on Friday. Guards fired several shots from a surveillance tower, striking 3 of the 5 would-be escapees. The other 2 were taken into custody.

TDC has not released the condition of the 3 inmates who were shot, but 2 Life Flight air ambulances were called in, and then grounded because of weather. The inmates are at a Livingston hospital.

The entire prison complex, which includes death row, Administrative Segregation, and general population was on lockdown as of 11:30 p.m. Friday.


Five inmates at a prison in Livingston reportedly tried to escape

LIVINGSTON, TX (KTRK) -- Five inmates at a prison in Livingston reportedly tried to escape Friday night and three of them were shot by prison guards.

It happened at around 9pm Friday night at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit. Prison officials tell us the five general population offenders were returning to their housing area from a church service when they tried to make a run for it. They got over an interior fence and were attempting to scale a fence along the prison perimeter.

Prison personnel began firing at the inmates, hitting three of them. All five inmates were captured inside the perimeter.

The TDCJ released the names of the five inmates: Michael Dueitt, 27, serving a life sentence for capital murder; Juan Quintero,36, serving a life without parole sentence for capital murder; Donald Gower, 41, serving a life without parole sentence for capital murder; Terry McDonald, 29, serving a life sentence for murder; and Albin Zelaya-Zelaya, 29, serving a life sentence for burglary with intent to commit a felony.

Dueitt, Zelaya-Zelaya, and McDonald suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to area hospitals for non-life threatening injuries. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

Quintero and Gower were treated for multiple lacerations and are back at the unit.

All five offenders could face felony attempted escape charges.

The Polunsky Unit is still locked down at this time.

Source: abc13News, January 30, 2010
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