Overview

• President Trump signed a memorandum instructing the Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney for D.C. to seek death sentences in appropriate cases after reviewing the evidence.
• The order tells federal prosecutors to pursue federal jurisdiction in D.C. for death‑penalty‑eligible crimes to the maximum extent practicable.
• The White House cast the move as part of its response to a declared crime emergency in the capital and cited a recent drop in reported crime.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department intends to seek capital punishment nationwide and is transferring inmates removed from death row under the prior administration to Supermax facilities.
• Because D.C. courts operating under local code cannot impose capital punishment, federal prosecutors would need to bring qualifying cases under federal law to seek death sentences.