US Supreme Court allows federal executions

US Supreme Court allows federal executions

BBC·2020-07-14 14:54

AFP

Triple murderer Daniel Lewis Lee is among those facing the death penalty

The United States Supreme Court has cleared the way for the first executions of federal prisoners to be carried out in 17 years.

Several executions were delayed after a judge ruled on Monday that there were still unresolved legal challenges against the justice department.

Triple murderer Daniel Lewis Lee is among those facing the death penalty.

The condemned prisoners have argued that lethal injections constitute "cruel and unusual punishments".

The Trump administration said last year it would resume federal executions.

In a statement at the time, Attorney General William Barr said: "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."

Some of the relatives of Lee's victims oppose his execution in Indiana and had sought to have it delayed, arguing that attending it could expose them to coronavirus.

Earlene Peterson, 81, whose daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law were killed by Lee, has said she wants the 47-year-old to be given life in jail, the same sentence as his accomplice.

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