FINAL ACT

Barr Schedules Three More Federal Executions

After a hiatus of 17 years, federal executions resumed in July, and eight prisoners have been put to death this year.

Attorney General William Barr announced Friday that the Department of Justice had scheduled the executions of three prisoners on federal death row for December 2020 and January 2021 in Terre Haute, Indiana. After a hiatus of 17 years, federal executions resumed under Barr this summer, and eight prisoners have been put to death since. Alfred Bourgeois is scheduled for execution on Dec. 11, Cory Johnson on Jan. 14, 2021, and Dustin John Higgs on Jan. 15. Bourgeois tortured and murdered his 2-year-old daughter. Johnson murdered seven people as part of a drug trafficking business. Higgs abducted and murdered three young women by handing a gun to one and telling her “better make sure they’re dead” before shooting her as well. All three inmates are slated to die by lethal injection. The only woman on federal death row, Lisa Montgomery, is also scheduled for execution, though her death has been delayed because her attorneys contracted COVID-19. Lawyers for Bourgeois and Johnson from the law firm Squire Patton Boggs argue that both men suffer from intellectual disabilities and therefore are ineligible for execution. In addition, Bourgeois’ lawyer argued his client’s previous attorneys failed to provide adequate counsel.