Attorney General orders to allow justice department to review death penalty

Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a moratorium on federal executions to allow for a Justice Department review of death penalty policy. During his hearing, Garland mentioned continuing exonerations of the wrongly convicted have given him pause and he cited President Joe Biden’s opposition to capital punishment.

“The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States but is also treated fairly and humanely,” Garland said in a memorandum.