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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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Man who killed Florida deputy during traffic stop sentenced to death

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In 2021, the man shot Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers in the face, killing him

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — A man who was convicted of shooting and killing Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers during a traffic stop nearly three years ago has been sentenced to death, News4Jax reported.

In April, the jury voted 11 to 1 to recommend a death sentence for Patrick McDowell, according to the report. On July 17, a judge sentenced McDowell to death.

McDowell, who pleaded guilty to the 2021 murder of Moyers, encouraged jurors to recommend the death penalty during his sentencing trial.

“I can’t take away the pain I’ve caused, but I can pay for it. So make me pay for it,” McDowell told the jurors.

Moyers was conducting a traffic stop when the driver, identified as McDowell, shot Moyers in the face and back, Sheriff Bill Leeper said. A second deputy found Moyers wounded on the ground.

McDowell was captured following a five-day manhunt.

“We thank the jury for their time and diligent attention to this most important matter. Their recommendation recognizes Josh’s service in life as well as the cold and calculated manner of his death. Josh’s family, fiancée, friends, and fellow officers have suffered immense pain from his senseless murder. I hope today’s end of the penalty trial may begin the healing they deserve,” State Attorney Melissa Nelson said.

Source: police1.com, Joanna Putman, July 19, 2024

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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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