WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum seeking to reinstate capital punishment in Washington, DC.
He directed the Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to fully enforce Federal death penalty laws to deter and punish the most heinous crimes in the Nation's capital.
The Order directs these Federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in all appropriate cases in the District of Columbia where the evidence and applicable facts justify such a sentence.
It directs the Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to pursue Federal jurisdiction to the maximum extent practicable for death-penalty-eligible crimes in Washington, D.C.
The District of Columbia's lenient policies in recent years has fueled a crime emergency, endangering residents, visitors, and Federal operations, the White House said.
Washington, D.C. has been among the Nation's most dangerous cities - with a homicide rate of 27.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024. That was the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country - nearly six times higher than New York City and also higher than Atlanta, Chicago, and Compton.
Enforcing Federal capital punishment - despite efforts by some politicians, lawyers, and non-governmental organizations to oppose it - has been a priority for President Trump.
In March, Trump created a task force to make D.C. safe and beautiful, surging law enforcement to restore order and enhance the city's infrastructure.
In August, he mobilized the National Guard and utilized Section 740 of the Home Rule Act to restore law and order in the District of Columbia.
Late last month, the President signed an Executive Order taking steps to ensure that cashless bail in Washington, D.C. is eliminated.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department will be seeking capital punishment across the United States.
Speaking after Trump signed the Memorandum in the Oval Office, Bondi said, 'Not only are we seeking it in Washington, DC, but all over the country, again.'
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