Trump administration executes two more death row prisoners in pre-Inauguration Day killing spree
The US government executed two prisoners Thursday night and early Saturday as the Trump administration continued its killing spree in advance of the inauguration of Joe Biden as president on January 20. The US Supreme Court allowed both executions to proceed.
Federal death row inmate Corey Johnson, 52, was executed Thursday night at the federal prison facility in Terre Haute, Indiana. His execution was the second time in less than five weeks that the federal government executed a likely intellectually disabled death row prisoner without giving the inmate a judicial review to determine eligibility for the death penalty.
The U.S. government early on Saturday carried out the 13th and final federal execution under President Donald Trump's administration, just days before President-elect Joe Biden takes office with a promise to try to end the death penalty. Dustin Higgs, 48, was pronounced dead at 1:23 a.m. EST (0623 GMT), the federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement. Five hours after he was set to be executed, the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority cleared the way for lethal injections to proceed, overturning a stay ordered by a federal appeals court.
Commonwealthâs Attorneys show support for bill removing death penalty in Virginia The lethal injection chamber in Greensville Correctional Center, Virginia (FILE) By John Hood | January 14, 2021 at 8:51 PM EST - Updated January 14 at 9:21 PM
RICHMOND, Va. (WHSV) â On Wednesday, a bill was introduced in the Virginia General Assembly to abolish the death penalty in the Commonwealth.
On Thursday morning, several Commonwealthâs Attorneys who said they represent 40 percent of the state met to show their support.
The bill calls for the state to remove the penalty of death for Class 1 felonies and changing the sentence to life in prison.
Three former Attorneys General and eleven Commonwealthâs Attorneys, as well as other former prosecutors, recently signed a letter to the General Assembly expressing their support for the abolition of the death penalty in the Commonwealth.