U.S. Attorney General Imposes Moratorium on Federal Executions

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a halt to federal executions pending a review of the Justice Department’s death penalty policies and procedures.

“The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States, but is also treated fairly and humanely,” Garland said in a statement Thursday night. “That obligation has special force in capital cases.”

Among the issues under review are the use of pentobarbital, a sedative often used in executions. The department is also reviewing changes made in the ...