Attorney General Bill Barr announced on Thursday that the federal government will resume carrying out the death penalty.
“Under Administrations of both parties, the Department of Justice has sought the death penalty against the worst criminals, including these five murderers, each of whom was convicted by a jury of his peers after a full and fair proceeding,” Barr said in a press release. “The Justice Department upholds the rule of law—and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system.”
It’s been almost two decades since the federal government carried out capital punishment.
Twenty-one states, including New York and Massachusetts, have abolished the death penalty.
According to Pew, public support for the death penalty hit a four-decade low of 49% in 2016. However, support in 2018 rose slightly to 54%.
