Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel
Okay, now that I think we've established it's difficult to impossible to stop a presidential pardon or commutation, what would be the political and media fallout of a president commuting the deaths of all federal prisoners on death row?
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Depends.
One of the last federal prisoners executed was Timothy McViegh.
In fact, three prisoners were executed during the Bush admin and none for the 40 previous years.
Obama will have decisions on individual cases coming up, but I would be surprised to see him step in unless there was compelling evidence of wrongful convictions giving that he supports the death penalty for “heinous” crimes .
Good article on the current state of federal death penalities:
Death penalty decisions loom - Politico.com