DOJ Plans to Lower Bar for States to Fast-Track Executions

The US Department of Justice has proposed changes that would make it easier for states to win a fast-track federal review of death penalty cases as part of President Donald Trump’s push to ramp up capital punishment.

A proposed rule change published Monday in the Federal Register would allow states to move more quickly to execute convicted criminals. US Attorney General Pam Bondi argued regulations imposed during the Obama and Biden administrations prevented states from using a 1996 federal law to essentially cut the length of the federal review in half, if they meet certain criteria.

“Executing final judgments ...