President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has reaffirmed its support for the death penalty, including the use of the firing squad as a method of execution, once prisoners have “exhausted their appeals,” per a Friday press release.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ is reversing President Joe Biden’s and his administration DOJ’s “efforts to erode the death penalty.” The press release added that intensifying execution strategies will deter individuals from committing crimes punishable by death.
“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” Blanche said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”
The federal government is following Idaho, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Utah, which are the only states that authorize firing squads as a form of capital punishment.
Last year, Utah was set to execute Ralph Menzies by firing squad. Menzies was found guilty of killing 26-year-old Maurine Hunsaker in 1986. Though he died of natural causes in prison last November, his execution date was scheduled for September before it was postponed for further evaluation as to his competency.
In March of last year, South Carolina executed the fourth person since the 1970s to be killed by firing squad, per CNN. Last May, Idaho signed into law a bill that expanded the death penalty to pedophiles. It also became the first state in the union to make a firing squad its preferred method of execution in modern times.
In the DOJ’s press release on Friday, the Trump administration said it is currently seeking the death penalty against 44 defendants and Blanche has already approved the seeking execution sentences for nine of said defendants, “including three MS-13 members, two of whom are illegal aliens, accused of murdering a federal witness.”