Overview

• President Donald Trump announced at a White House Cabinet meeting that prosecutors will seek capital punishment for homicide cases in the nation’s capital.
• Washington, D.C. abolished the death penalty for local crimes decades ago, yet federal law allows capital charges in certain cases brought by the U.S. attorney’s office.
• Under Justice Department practice, any decision to pursue a death sentence must clear review by the Capital Case Section and receive final approval from Attorney General Pam Bondi.
• Justice Department officials are weighing capital charges in multiple pending matters, and prosecutors have already moved to seek death in the Luigi Mangione case tied to the killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson.
• The push follows a broader federal security buildup in the city, including National Guard deployments with authorization to carry firearms, drawing sharp criticism from D.C. leaders and civil-rights groups.