A high-profile tech investor has sparked outrage and debate after calling for repeat violent offenders to be executed by hanging. In an article shared on X, venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale wrote that if he were in charge, he would act quickly to hang the men after three violent crimes. That comment, posted online this week, drew swift reactions from legal scholars, criminal justice advocates and public safety groups, who said the idea was at odds with U.S. constitutional protections and modern sentencing standards.
“If I take charge later, we won’t just have a three-strikes law. We’ll quickly try to hang men after three violent crimes,” Lonsdale wrote on X.
The statement comes as crime policy once again becomes a flashpoint in national and state politics. It revives the harsh rhetoric of the “three strikes” of the 1990s while testing the limits of sanctions under American law. It also comes amid new data showing a decline in violent crime nationally in 2023, after a pandemic-era spike.
Three Strikes Laws and Their History
Three-strikes laws developed in the 1990s after high-profile crimes. California’s 1994 law became the model, imposing long sentences on people who committed multiple serious crimes. Voters then reduced it in 2012 to reduce life sentences for nonviolent offenses. Many states have passed similar laws, and the federal government has also passed a version.
Supporters say these laws protect communities by keeping repeat violent offenders off the streets. Critics say they can tackle smaller cases, increase the prison population and fail to curb crime in any lasting way. Research on deterrence is mixed, and reform efforts over the past decade have tightened some states’ laws.
Constitutional and legal obstacles
Legal experts said the call for Lonsdale’s hanging would face immediate constitutional hurdles. The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has authorized the death penalty in limited cases, it requires strict due process and methods must meet evolving standards of decency.
No state currently allows hanging as a method of execution. Most states that retain capital punishment use lethal injection. A few allow alternatives such as firing squad or electrocution in rare conditions. Any move to embrace hanging would trigger intense legal challenges and likely fail, the academics said.
The death penalty is also limited by case law to the “most serious crimes”, generally aggravated murder. Applying it to a category based on a criminal record, rather than the nature of a single offense, would raise issues of proportionality in light of Supreme Court precedent.
Public Safety Claims and Crime Trends
Lonsdale’s message presented extreme punishment as a tool of security and order. But national data offers a more complex picture. FBI figures show violent crime declined in 2023, including a sharp drop in murders compared to 2022. Early reports from major cities in 2024 indicate further declines in murders and robberies in many areas.
Experts warn that crime can vary widely by city and type. They also note that long sentences have diminishing deterrent effects once a threshold of certainty and speed of punishment is reached. Community strategies, targeted policing and economic supports are often cited as drivers of recent declines.
Reactions across the spectrum
Criminal justice reform groups condemned the message, calling it dangerous rhetoric. They said it risks stoking fear and could distract from policies with proven impact, such as focused deterrence, gun violence prevention and treatment programs.
Some anti-crime advocates have welcomed the focus on repeat violent offenders, but have distanced themselves from the method. They pushed for measures such as truth in sentencing, stricter bail for high-risk defendants and more victim services.
Legal commentators framed the declaration as a political message rather than a practical plan. “This proposal clashes at every moment with established constitutional law,” declared a constitutional expert, emphasizing Limitations of the Eighth Amendment and due process requirements in capital cases.
What the data suggests
- FBI data shows violent crime declined in 2023 and murders declined by double digits compared to 2022 levels.
- States continue to reevaluate mandatory minimum sentences and three-strikes laws, in some cases restricting eligibility for life sentences.
- No U.S. jurisdiction uses hanging today; any attempt to reinstate it would be subject to immediate judicial review.
Some studies reveal that the certainty of being arrested is more of a deterrent than the severity of the sentence. Others point out that assistance with rehabilitation and reintegration can reduce recidivism. States are testing approaches such as targeted probation, investments in mental health and rapid interventions for the small number of people linked to a large share of shootings.
Lonsdale’s post adds heat to the conversation but does not reflect current legal practice. The coming months will show whether candidates and lawmakers will heed the call for tougher laws against repeat offenders or focus on strategies supported by recent results. For now, data indicates a decline in violence, while courts and constitutions set strict limits on the scope of sanctions.
