Biden appears to be softening his stance on the death penalty

[DonViejo]

An aside by the Democratic hopeful at a town hall triggers questions about whether he's changed his mind on another hot-button issue.

By CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO 06/20/2019 05:12 AM EDT

Joe Biden said in a 1992 speech that criminal justice legislation he was pushing was so strict that “we do everything but hang people for jaywalking.” Two years later, his signature crime bill made dozens of additional offenses punishable by death.

But in a little-noticed remark earlier this month in New Hampshire, the Democratic presidential frontrunner seemed to offer a decidedly different stance on the death penalty.

Fielding a question from a voter aligned with the ACLU about how he’d reduce the federal prison population, Biden gave a long and winding answer: He defended his crime bill, advocated for reforms to the criminal justice system involving nonviolent and drug offenders, and said he was proud of his work with Barack Obama to cut the federal prison population by 3,800.

Then, unprompted, Biden added: “By the way, congratulations to ya’ll ending the death penalty here.”

Biden’s campaign would not comment on his answer, or shed light on whether he’s changed his position on the death penalty. The ACLU also declined to weigh in, given the ambiguity of his comment.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/20/joe-biden-death-penalty-1371932

[beachbum bob]

1. I for one beleive there are crimes that do warrant the death penalty...for

the Ted Bundys of the world
the John Wayne Gacys of the world

and hundreds if not thousands of them who do not hesitate to take a life, rape a child.....rape and murder women.

There is NO rehabilitation here to be made. We are just kidding ourselves to think otherwise

[thesquanderer]

2. The problem with having the death penalty at all...

...is that there is no assurance that at innocent person won't be put to death. Executing the hundreds or thousands you mention is not worth it if so much as a single innocent person's life is taken, and we can't be certain that won't happen. The public at large is no safer with a dead Bundy than with an incarcerated Bundy. But we are worse off with a dead innocent person than a live one.