President Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier, 80, will transition to home confinement after serving decades in prison.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a final act of clemency before leaving office, President Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier, 80, had been serving life in prison for the deaths of the agents during a standoff on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He had not been eligible for parole again until 2026. Biden said Peltier would transition to home confinement.
This action comes after years of lobbying and protests on Peltier's behalf by Native American leaders, human rights activists, liberal lawmakers, and celebrities who maintain he was wrongfully convicted. Organizations like Amnesty International have long considered Peltier a political prisoner. Biden's decision also follows a pattern of clemency actions he has taken during his presidency. On Friday, he announced that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. He also granted a broad pardon to his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. On Monday, Biden pardoned Gerald Lundergan, a Democratic politician from Kentucky who served in the state House of Representatives and was convicted of making illegal campaign contributions to his daughter’s failed U.S. Senate campaign. Ernest William Cromartie, a former Columbia, South Carolina, city council member who was convicted of tax evasion, was also pardoned.Peltier's conviction has been fiercely contested. While he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced in 1977 to life in prison, defense claims have long asserted that evidence against him was falsified. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama rejected Peltier's clemency requests, and he was denied parole in 1993, 2009, and 2024. Shortly before Biden commuted Peltier's sentence, the No Parole Peltier Association, led by former FBI agents, posted a statement celebrating the fact he hadn't been pardoned. “President Biden certainly recognized the unrepentant act of a cold-blooded murderer and denied Peltier’s clemency application,” the group posted before Biden commuted Peltier's sentence. The group didn't respond to a message seeking comment after Peltier's sentence was commuted. Peltier's supporters pushed Biden to act because of his age and health problems, which include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart trouble, and an aortic aneurysm discovered in 2016, according to his lawyers. They worried that he would not get another chance at parole or a compassionate release before dying behind bars
LEONARD PELTIER JOE BIDEN CLEMENCY FBI AGENTS INDIAN ACTIVIST AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PINE RIDGE RESERVATION HOME CONFINEMENT
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden Commutations Life Sentence of Leonard PeltierIn his final days in office, President Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist convicted in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier, who has long maintained his innocence, will now transition to home confinement.
Read more »
President Biden Commuts Leonard Peltier's Life Sentence in Final ActIn a last-minute act before leaving office, President Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous activist imprisoned for decades for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. The decision has significant implications for the ongoing debate surrounding Peltier's case and its connection to Indigenous rights.
Read more »
Biden Commutates Leonard Peltier's Life SentencePresident Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, an Indigenous activist convicted in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. Peltier, 80, will transition to home confinement. The decision follows decades of lobbying and protests on Peltier's behalf, but it has also been met with opposition from law enforcement and the families of the slain agents.
Read more »
Full List of Death Row Sentences Joe Biden CommutedJoe Biden believes the death penalty 'must stop' at the federal level, except for those found guilty of terrorism and mass murder motivated by hate.
Read more »
Biden Commuted Death Sentences of 37 Federal InmatesPresident Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 federal inmates, including those convicted of murdering families and children. The news highlights the cases of Ricardo Sanchez and Daniel Troya, convicted of killing an entire family, and Thomas Sanders, convicted of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old girl.
Read more »
Biden Commuted Sentences of 7 Inmates on Federal Death RowPresident Joe Biden commuted the sentences of seven men on federal death row in Texas, effectively extending his moratorium on federal executions. The White House stated that the move would prevent President-elect Donald Trump from restarting executions when he takes office. Biden expressed his condemnation of the murderers while reaffirming his opposition to the death penalty at the federal level.
Read more »