In a significant last-minute act, President Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist, just as Donald Trump was sworn into office as the next president.
The Washington Examiner reported that Leonard Peltier will serve his remaining sentence under home confinement after nearly five decades in prison.
Peltier, convicted in the deaths of two FBI agents during a standoff at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975, has spent nearly 50 years behind bars. The two agents, Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, were killed in a shootout which has been a point of contention and legal debate for years.
The commutation by Biden, prompted by concerns for Peltier’s declining health and significant advocacy efforts, marks a momentous turn in a case long seen as symbolic of injustices faced by Native Americans. The National Congress of American Indians had been among the most vocal groups advocating for his release.
The decision was made public just moments before the official change in presidential administrations, spotlighting it as one of Biden's final presidential actions.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, praised Biden's decision. "I am beyond words about the commutation of Leonard Peltier,” Haaland said. “His release from prison signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades."
Haaland emphasized the symbolic importance of Peltier's release for the Native American community, adding, "I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family."
This moment was also fortified by Biden’s broader clemency efforts, which included pardoning several high-profile figures and commuting the death sentences of most inmates on death row.
However, not all responses to the commutation were in favor. FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed his discontent in a letter. “I hope these letters are unnecessary, and that you are not considering a pardon or commutation,” Wray wrote, underscoring his position against any relief for Peltier.
“Peltier is a remorseless killer, who brutally murdered two of our own — Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams," Wray continued. "Granting Peltier any relief from his conviction or sentence is wholly unjustified and would be an affront to the rule of law."
Similarly, Ezra Cohen, an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, vehemently criticized the decision. “Perhaps Biden’s most contemptuous move towards the justice system today was the pardoning of Leonard Peltier, who murdered two FBI agents in cold blood,” Cohen stated.
The split views on Peltier's commutation reflect a broader societal and political divide over criminal justice issues about Native Americans.
Supporters argue that Peltier's case is an example of racial injustice and a flawed legal process, whereas opponents uphold the conviction as just and necessary to honor the law and the FBI agents who lost their lives in 1975.
Biden’s decision to allow Peltier to finish his sentence under home confinement rather than fully pardoning him suggests a compromise amidst these conflicting views, acknowledging both the advocacy for Native rights and the concerns raised by law enforcement bodies.
As the Biden administration transitions out and the Trump administration takes over, the implications of this decision will likely continue to unfold, casting a long shadow over the ongoing discourse surrounding justice, equity, and reconciliation in America.