US Justice Department Revives Firing Squads for Federal Executions
US justice department to allow firing squads as federal death penalty method
The Guardian
Image: The Guardian
The US Justice Department announced plans to reinstate firing squads as a method of federal execution, alongside reintroducing lethal injection protocols from the Trump administration. This move rescinds the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions and authorizes seeking death sentences against 44 defendants, despite declining public support for the death penalty.
- 01Firing squads are being reinstated as a federal execution method.
- 02The Biden-era moratorium on federal executions has been rescinded.
- 03The Justice Department plans to expedite death penalty cases.
- 04Public support for the death penalty has significantly declined.
- 05The department is also considering changes to clemency petition rules.
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On Friday, the US Justice Department announced measures to reinforce the federal death penalty, including the reinstatement of firing squads and the reintroduction of lethal injection protocols used during the Trump administration. The department aims to expedite capital punishment cases and has rescinded the moratorium on federal executions imposed during President Joe Biden's administration. It has authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants, with nine already approved by acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche. The Justice Department's statement emphasized its commitment to fulfilling its duty to implement lawful capital sentences after inmates have exhausted their appeals. While five states—Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—permit firing squads under certain conditions, public support for the death penalty has been waning, dropping from 80% in 1994 to 52% in 2025, according to a Gallup poll. The department's actions mark a significant shift in federal execution policy, reversing the previous administration's efforts to limit capital punishment.
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The revival of firing squads and the resumption of federal executions may affect the legal landscape surrounding capital punishment in the US, influencing both defendants and public discourse.
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