Biden grants clemency to 37 death row inmates, including child murderers, just before Christmas

PRESIDENT Joe Biden is to commute the sentences of 37 inmates on death row, including child killers, just weeks before leaving office. 

The previous president’s most recent act of clemency occurs shortly after he commuted 1,500 sentences and pardoned 39 individuals, marking the most substantial single-day clemency gesture in recent memory.

Biden has vowed to get rid of the death penalty, and the commutations mean only three people remain on federal death row.

Some of the sentences commuted include Thomas Sanders, who kidnapped and shot Lexis Roberts, 12, four times before cutting her throat. 

And Jorge Avila-Torrez was convicted of sexually assaulting and stabbing to death two girls in 2005. 

The victims were named as Laura Hobbs, eight, and Krystal Tobias, nine.

Anthony Battle’s sentence was lowered. He killed a prison guard in Atlanta in 1994 while serving time for raping and killing his Marine wife.

In a statement, Biden said he’s more convinced than ever the US must stop using the death penalty. 

“In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted,” he said.

It means that the convicts will have their sentences reduced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The raft of commutations comes just days after Biden granted clemency to 1,500 people.

Biden shattered the history books as the figure is the most ever in US history.

Among those who had their sentences commuted were those who were put on home confinement during the Covid pandemic.

There were 39 pardons for those convicted of non-violent crimes.