The United States is preparing for another execution, its 10th
this year, as President Donald Trump continues his death spree even as a ‘lame duck’
president set to demit office on January 20.

Alfred Bourgeois, a Black man sentenced to death for the
murder of his two-year-old daughter, was to be executed by lethal injection at
a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, AFP reported on Friday.

His execution comes a day after that of Brandon Bernard,
also executed in Terre Haute.

Bourgeois, a truck driver, was charged for killing his
daughter after she came to live with him following a paternity test, which went
in his favour. He broke her head on the windshield.

As the crime was committed on a military base where he
delivered, he was tried by the federal authority and was sentenced to death in
2004.

The US had on hold all federal executions since 2003, following
concerns with the legality of drugs used in injections. The stop was lifted by
the Supreme Court in 2019.

It has been traditional of an outgoing president to grant
pardons to people on death row, and very rare for a ‘lame duck’ president to
carry on with the executions.

Bernard’s execution on December 10 was met with criticism from
several quarters, including pop culture celebrity Kim Kardashian, who had
tweeted earlier requesting his pardon from Trump.

Seven federal executions occurred before the November 3
election that Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden, who is due to be sworn in on
January 20 despite the outgoing president’s refusal to concede, AFP reported.

The Trump administration has announced six executions
between November and January, including Bourgeois.

Joe Biden has pledged to work with Congress to bring an end
to federal executions, changing course from his earlier pro-death penalty
stance.

Biden is known as the architect of 1994 “Crime Bill”, which
expanded the categories under which a death penalty could be awarded. The rules
under the bill then adopted are still active.

 “It provides 53 death-penalty offenses. Weak as can
be, you know…  We do everything but hang
people for jaywalking in this bill,” Biden had said about his crime bill then, as reported by Motherjones.

Biden admitted his past errors in January last year, saying
he wasn’t always right in his four-decade long career.

“I haven’t always been right,” he said, as quoted by
Vox.

 “I know we haven’t
always gotten things right, but I’ve always tried.”