Two federal inmates refuse Joe Biden’s commutation of their death sentences, citing legal concerns and ongoing appeals.
Terre Haute: So, here’s the scoop. Two guys on death row, Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis, are not happy with Joe Biden’s recent decision to commute their sentences to life in prison. They’re actually fighting back in court.
They filed some emergency motions, saying that accepting the commutation would mess with their legal rights. They’re in the middle of appealing their cases, and they think this move puts them at a disadvantage.
Agofsky’s filing really lays it out. He argues that commuting his sentence while he’s still in court is unfair and could hurt his chances in the appeal process. His wife even mentioned that he might lose his legal help if his sentence changes.
Agofsky was sentenced to life back in 1989 for robbing and killing a bank president in Oklahoma. While in Texas, he got into more trouble and ended up on death row for another murder.
On the other hand, Len Davis, a former cop from New Orleans, was convicted for killing a woman who had accused him of police brutality. It’s a pretty wild story.
Biden’s commutation was a big deal, marking the most death sentences changed by a president in recent history. But it didn’t apply to everyone—three inmates convicted of serious crimes like terrorism were left out.
