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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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Florida | Judge Postpones Penalty Trial for Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz

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The trial has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and arguments over what evidence and testimony will be permitted.

A judge on Wednesday postponed the penalty trial for the Parkland school shooter until February.

Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer stated in a court order that both parties requested more time to prepare experts for trial, saying they would not be ready to start on the scheduled date, Jan. 4. 

Scherer postponed the trial to Feb. 21.

Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty in October to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. 

Once jurors are selected, they will decide whether he is sentenced to death or to life without parole.

For Cruz to be sentenced to death, the 12-member jury must agree unanimously. 

Scherer decided earlier this month to allow the victims’ families to testify, rejecting an attempt by Cruz's attorneys to bar parents and others to speak directly to the jury. 

The attorneys argued that could result in “overly emotional displays” that would violate Cruz's right to a fair trial.

Source: nbcmiami.com, Staff, December 29, 2021


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Location: Florida, USA
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