Their stance conflicts with the long-standing position of civil rights advocates, who have generally opposed the death penalty out of concerns it is unjust and disproportionately used against racial minorities.
“There’s a mixed feeling about it. Some say, ‘Yeah, that should be in play,’ ” said Kristen Elmore-Garcia, a Buffalo-based lawyer who represents one of the families.
But Garland, under pressure from civil rights groups, issued a moratorium last summer on federal executions, after the administration of President Donald Trump carried out 13 in the final six months of his presidency. As heinous as the Buffalo killings were, Black civil rights leaders say, seeking to execute the gunman would represent a setback in their efforts to abolish capital punishment.
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