Justice Dept. Pauses Federal Reversing Policy8 min read

The Department of Justice has paused its plans to reverse a policy that allows federal prosecutors to more easily pursue criminal charges against companies that violate environmental laws.

The policy, which was put in place by the Obama administration in 2016, allows prosecutors to hold companies criminally liable even if the violations are unintentional. The Trump administration has been seeking to undo the policy since 2017, but the department announced on Wednesday that it is suspending its efforts “pending a review of the policy’s effectiveness.”

The decision was announced in a letter sent by the assistant attorney general, Jeffrey A. Rosen, to the chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. The letter said that the department would “take into account the results of this review before taking any further steps with respect to the policy.”

The decision follows intense criticism from environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers, who have accused the Trump administration of trying to weaken environmental protections.

In a statement, the Natural Resources Defense Council said it was “pleased that the Department of Justice has decided to suspend its efforts to roll back a policy that helps protect our environment from criminal violations.”

The policy has been used to pursue charges against companies like Exxon Mobil and Duke Energy. In November, the Justice Department announced that it was seeking to dismiss a criminal case against Duke Energy that was brought under the policy.

The department said in its letter on Wednesday that the policy “has not been implemented in a way that meets the department’s expectations.”

In a statement, the Justice Department said that the decision to suspend the policy “does not reflect a change in the department’s enforcement priorities.”

Who was the last federal execution?

The last federal execution in the United States took place on June 11, 2003. The executed inmate was Louis Jones Jr., who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Army Pvt. Tracie Joy McBride.

Prior to the federal government’s moratorium on the death penalty in 2004, the last federal execution had occurred in 1963. In that case, Victor Feguer was put to death for the kidnapping and murder of Dr. Edward J. Jacobson. 

Since the reinstatement of the federal death penalty in 1988, there have been 62 inmates executed. The most recent federal execution prior to Jones was that of Timothy McVeigh, who was executed for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing in 2001.

Is there a moratorium on capital punishment?

Capital punishment, also called the death penalty, is the execution of a person by the state as punishment for a crime. The sentence of capital punishment can be handed down for a wide range of offences, including murder, terrorism, treason, espionage, and drug trafficking.

There is considerable debate over the use of the death penalty, with opponents arguing that it is cruel and inhumane, and that it does not deter crime. There is also concern that innocent people may be executed, and that the death penalty is arbitrarily applied.

Some countries have a moratorium on the death penalty, meaning that it is not currently used, while others have abolished it altogether. The United States is one of the few developed countries that still practices capital punishment, with around 20 executions carried out each year.

How many federal executions have there been?

Since 1988, the federal government has executed three people. The first execution in over fifty years was of Timothy McVeigh in 2001, for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. Two years later, Juan Raul Garza was executed for three murders committed during a drug trafficking conspiracy. The most recent federal execution was in 2009, of Louis Jones Jr. for the kidnapping and murder of a female army officer.

The death penalty is authorized by the federal government for a limited number of offenses, including terrorism, espionage, and treason. The federal government has also used the death penalty for certain drug-related offenses, such as the distribution of large quantities of drugs.

The federal government has not always been active in the use of the death penalty. From 1927 to 1988, only two federal executions took place. The increase in federal executions in the past few decades is due in part to the federal government’s efforts to combat terrorism and drug trafficking.

The number of federal executions is likely to remain low, as the federal government has only recently resumed using the death penalty and the death penalty is not authorized for a large number of offenses.

What has Merrick Garland done as attorney general?

Since being nominated to the Supreme Court in March 2016 by then-President Barack Obama, Merrick Garland has been on a temporary leave of absence from his role as the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Prior to his nomination, Garland had a long and distinguished career as a federal prosecutor and as an attorney working in private practice. He has served in several key roles within the Department of Justice (DOJ), including as the principal deputy solicitor general and as head of the criminal division.

As attorney general, Garland oversaw the work of the DOJ and acted as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. He was responsible for enforcing the laws of the United States, overseeing the work of the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and litigating on behalf of the United States in federal court.

Some of Garland’s key accomplishments as attorney general include:

-Successfully prosecuting terrorist suspects, including the perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa.

-Leading the DOJ’s efforts to combat cybercrime, including the development of new strategies to prevent, investigate, and prosecute cybercrime.

-Successfully defending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in federal court.

-Working to reduce violent crime, including the implementation of the DOJ’s “Smart on Crime” initiative.

-Helping to secure a record number of criminal convictions in federal court.

Which states have executed the most?

Every year, the United States executes criminals convicted of heinous crimes. While the use of the death penalty is on the decline nationwide, some states are still avid practitioners of capital punishment.

Texas leads the nation in executions, with 537 since 1976. Oklahoma is a distant second, with 112 executions during the same period.

In recent years, however, several states have abolished the death penalty, including Nebraska in 2015 and Delaware in 2016. The trend away from the death penalty is likely to continue, as more and more Americans come to see it as a barbaric practice.

Nevertheless, a number of states continue to execute inmates at a steady clip. Here is a list of the states that have executed the most people since 1976:

1. Texas – 537

2. Oklahoma – 112

3. Virginia – 110

4. Florida – 98

5. Alabama – 73

6. Missouri – 68

7. Georgia – 66

8. Arkansas – 58

9. Ohio – 57

10. Oklahoma – 56

As you can see, Texas and Oklahoma lead the pack when it comes to executions. Virginia and Florida are close behind, while Alabama and Missouri are also active users of the death penalty.

The trend away from the death penalty is likely to continue, as more and more Americans come to see it as a barbaric practice.

Nevertheless, a number of states continue to execute inmates at a steady clip. Here is a list of the states that have executed the most people since 1976:

1. Texas – 537

2. Oklahoma – 112

3. Virginia – 110

4. Florida – 98

5. Alabama – 73

6. Missouri – 68

7. Georgia – 66

8. Arkansas – 58

9. Ohio – 57

10. Oklahoma – 56

What states still allow hanging as a death penalty?

In the United States, hanging is still an option for a death penalty in some states.

Hanging is an ancient form of capital punishment where the person is hanged by a rope or chain. The person’s weight pulls them down, and the rope or chain wraps around their neck, cutting off the air. This causes death by strangulation.

Hanging is still an option as a death penalty in some US states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming.

There are a number of reasons why a state might choose hanging as a death penalty. One reason is that it is seen as a more humane option than other forms of capital punishment, such as lethal injection. Hanging also tends to be less expensive than other methods.

However, hanging is also seen as a more brutal form of execution, and it can be difficult to ensure a person is actually dead after they are hanged. There have been cases where people have been resuscitated after being hanged, leading to a slow and painful death.

In the US, there has been a move away from hanging as a method of execution. Only three people have been executed by hanging in the US in the last 15 years, and all of these were in Nebraska. In recent years, most states that still have hanging as a death penalty option have switched to lethal injection as the primary method of execution.

Which states have a moratorium on the death penalty?

As of January 1, 2018, 21 states and the District of Columbia have a moratorium on the death penalty. A moratorium is a temporary suspension of a government action, such as the death penalty.

The states that have a moratorium on the death penalty are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

The District of Columbia also has a moratorium on the death penalty.

The states that have the death penalty are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.