ACLU Statement on Justice Department Reinstating Broken Federal Death Penalty System

DURHAM, N.C. — The Department of Justice today announced it would resume the federal death penalty, which has not been used in this country since 2003. Cassandra Stubbs, director of the Capital Punishment Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, issued this statement in response:

“Under no circumstances should the Justice Department be allowed to rush through executions. The federal death penalty is defined by the same problems of racial bias, geographic disparities, prosecutorial misconduct, and junk science that have led to the decline in support for capital punishment nationwide.

“We’re seeing bipartisan movements all around the country — led by racial justice groups, faith communities, conservatives, and others — fight to repeal the death penalty in their states. We, along with a broad coalition of national groups, are looking carefully at this. We will challenge this move, which is completely out of step with the American people and justice at large. The DOJ is on the wrong side of history again.”