Overview

• At a Cabinet meeting, the president said prosecutors should pursue capital punishment for any killing in the nation’s capital, calling it a very strong deterrent.
• Most homicide cases in Washington are tried in D.C. Superior Court, which does not allow the death penalty, so eligible cases would have to be brought federally by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
• The Justice Department has recently signaled it may seek the death penalty in several federal cases in Washington, including the case of Elías Rodríguez and two extradited defendants in a 2008 gang case.
• Securing death sentences in the capital has historically been difficult, with juries resisting capital punishment and a notable 2003 federal case ending in life sentences rather than executions.
• The announcement included no implementation details, and the president noted that states make their own decisions on capital punishment even as he presses the policy in the federal district.