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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 Convicted Offenders Spend Years On Death Row

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The average time a Texan spends on death row is about 10 years, with some Texas prisons reporting overcrowding at their facilities.

Some convicted criminals in Texas are executed in as little as 248 days. For others it has taken as long as 24 years, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

However, for William Josef Berkley, who was convicted of killing Burges High School senior 18-year-old Sofia Martinez, it took less than eight years for his execution. He was executed at 5:18 p.m. Thursday.

Texas leads the nation in the number of executions. "We have a sense in our culture, you hit me and I'll hit you back, you slap me and I'll slap you back," said Charlie Doyle from St. Patrick's Criminal Justice Ministry. "We have to go beyond revenge to compassion, that's a tough thing to do."

A recent report shows Texas murder rates remain among the highest in the country.

Another El Pasoan on death row is Fabian Hernandez, who was convicted in 2009 for the murder of his estranged wife and boyfriend.

Source: Associated Press, April 23, 2010
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