Staff Reports
Two death row inmates are in a messy legal skirmish with President Joe Biden over his recent commutations that aim to lighten the load of some federal prisoners. In the latest episode of “As the Justice System Turns,” Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis are trying to grab onto their blood-stained status as death row inmates, believing it might somehow aid them in overturning their sentences. The notion sounds almost comical, as if they think their plea for sympathy will earn them a free pass instead of sticking to the reality they’ve created for themselves.
Biden’s recent act of generosity—commuting the death sentences of several individuals to life in prison without parole—has sent shockwaves through the corridors of justice. The government isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for murderous thugs to walk free; rather, it appears that Biden wants to take a compassionate route. As if on cue, Agofsky and Davis decided to flap their metaphorical wings and file legal paperwork to keep their death row labels intact. It begs the question: do they really think this is going to win them any points with a judge?
Agofsky’s track record isn’t exactly what one might describe as “clean.” He earned his spot on death row after committing the heinous act of drowning a bank manager—a rather aquatic form of capital punishment that hardly screams “innocent victim.” In prison, he proceeded to escalate his criminality by murdering a fellow inmate in a brutal and highly publicized manner. It might be too much to ask, but one has to wonder, why is this individual trying to argue for heightened legal scrutiny? Perhaps because he knows those sympathetic vibes don’t come naturally when your résumé includes fatal neck stomping on a hapless prison mate.
Then there’s Davis, a former cop who took the path of corruption with pure enthusiasm: stealing cars, dealing crack, and racking up a résumé of crime and misdeed that would make any law-abiding citizen cringe. He even went as far as to kill a woman who dared to file a complaint against him for excessive force. It’s ironic that this guy is worried about “overwhelming misconduct” within the Justice Department when his entire existence screams misconduct from every angle. His claims of innocence are about as credible as a snake oil salesman pitching miracle cures—only he’s looking for sympathy instead of cash.
2 Death Row Inmates Stun Nation, Say They Won't Take Biden's Commutations #TCOT https://t.co/FXbMCLL2UQ
— CompuChris (@compuchris) January 7, 2025
Constitutional law expert Dan Kobil outlines the stark reality for both inmates: in the grand scheme of things, their wishes may hold as much weight as a feather in a storm. A 1927 Supreme Court precedent established that a president can commute sentences without needing the inmates’ consent, which effectively means their legal gymnastics are completely futile. In the end, one has to ask if Biden should be held accountable for any future crimes committed by those he’s attempted to grant clemency to. After all, the thought of softening the penalty for cold-blooded criminals bodes more peril than promise—and that’s a gamble no sane person wants to take.
