Two federal inmates reject Biden’s commutation of their death sentences

Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis have already filed emergency motions requesting that their commutations be blocked. — Image credit: Getty Images

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Two federal inmates who spent years on death row are rejecting President Joe Biden’s commutation of their sentences. Both men have already filed emergency motions requesting that their commutations be blocked.

Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis, who refused to sign their paperwork after Biden commuted the death sentences of 37 inmates last month, are appealing their cases. They believe their status on death row will help them fight their convictions.

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Agofsky is in jail on murder and robbery charges. He received his death sentence following the 2001 murder of a fellow inmate. NBC News reported he has opposed commutation to receive extra legal help for his appeals as a death row inmate.

Davis, meanwhile, is a former police officer in jail for the murder of a woman who filed a complaint against him after he allegedly assaulted a teenager. Davis says the court had no jurisdiction to try him for the case.

But getting their commutations reversed may be an uphill battle.

A 1927 Supreme Court case ruled that presidents do not need the consent of convicts to grant them pardons, commutations or clemency.

Roey Hadar (Producer) and Jake Larsen (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Crime, Death row executions, Joe Biden, Prison, Prisoners, U.S. Department of Justice

LAUREN TAYLOR: Two federal inmates who spent years on death row are responding to President Biden’s commutation of their sentences by saying they would rather be on death row.

Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis responded to the president’s move in December to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on the federal death row by refusing to sign the paperwork. They both filed emergency motions requesting blocks of their commutations.

Both Agofsky and Davis are appealing their cases and believe their status on death row will help them prove their innocence and raise awareness for issues with how the government handled their cases.

Agofsky, who is in jail on murder and robbery charges, received his death sentence for the 2001 murder of a fellow inmate in prison.

NBC News reported he has opposed commutation because being on death row allowed him to receive extra legal help for his appeals.

Davis, meanwhile, is a former police officer in jail for the murder of a woman who filed a complaint against him, accusing him of assaulting a teenager. He says the court had no jurisdiction to try him for the case.

But getting their commutations reversed may be an uphill battle.

A 1927 Supreme Court case ruled that presidents do not need the consent of a convict to grant them pardons, commutations or clemency.

For Straight Arrow News, I’m Lauren Taylor.

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