I Pardon You ~ Presidental Pardons

[MA-Caver]

I Beg Your PardonThe top prospects for a last act of Bush clemency.

By Dafna Linzer, ProPublicaPosted Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008, at 7:00 AM ETAttention, convicts: Time is running out to get applications to the pardon attorney at the Justice Department if you're hoping President Bush will be your decider. Few of you should get your hopes up—Bush has rejected a record number of requests for pardons and commutations. In the last eight years, he has pardoned 157 people—a miserly sum compared with his predecessors. But you don't have to give up entirely: More are expected in the coming months, most notably for Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
(Read more and scroll down for the list of nays maybes and yea's)

http://www.slate.com/id/2204984?y=1

Makes me wonder about this... President of the U.S. one of the last acts is a series of pardons for various offenses. Do they REALLY count? Are they really necessary? Not just for the ones receiving the pardon but in overall principality?

I have a past felony arrest and while I served my days in jail and probation (successfully I might add ) the record still dogs me to this day. Haven't been able to find a really decent job because of it.
Where do I go to sign up??

 

[terryl965]

Pardons for what, Just to say they did something good while they **** up this whole country.

 

[Frostbite]

I was really disappointed to find out my name wasn't on the list.

It's my understanding that presidential pardons pretty much trump everything. I don't know if they have to be worded specifically or can be a blanket pardon for whatever crimes you might have committed.

I'm thinking presidential pardon Mad Libs would be great though:

I (proper name) the (ordinal number) President of the United States, do hearby pardon (proper name) for the crimes of (noun), (noun) and (verb). I also hearby (verb) the sentence of (number) (unit of time) conferred on (proper name).

 

[Rich Parsons]

Makes me wonder about this... President of the U.S. one of the last acts is a series of pardons for various offenses. Do they REALLY count? Are they really necessary? Not just for the ones receiving the pardon but in overall principality?

I have a past felony arrest and while I served my days in jail and probation (successfully I might add ) the record still dogs me to this day. Haven't been able to find a really decent job because of it.
Where do I go to sign up??

Caver,

Send the White House a letter. Explain to them that you have been a productive member to society. But that you have some issues, with the job area. If you were pardoned you could become a better tax paying member of society.

Good Luck

 

[Empty Hands]

Where do I go to sign up??

Depends. Are you a top Republican donor or disgraced Administration official?

 

[Twin Fist]

like Marc Rich?

 

[elder999]

like Marc Rich?

Nah-that was Clinton who pardoned him. He was a Clinton supporter, not a Bush supporter-and, actually, his ex wife was the "Clinton supporter" :lfao:


Probably more like Florida Bell Griffin, Scooter Libby, and those ENRON guys.....:lfao:

 

[MA-Caver]

Depends. Are you a top Republican donor or disgraced Administration official?

Uhh... neither... but I've been accused of being a communist once!! :lol:

 

[Twin Fist]

presidential pardons make me un-easy, but it IS a long standing perk of the job

 

[MA-Caver]

presidential pardons make me un-easy, but it IS a long standing perk of the job

for whom? it basically lets a guilty person off the hook for what they've done...

Even if I applied for a pres pardon... and get it... it still doesn't erase what I've done eh? Still there... just they can't hold it against me anymore... same with anyone else who gets pardon...

Pardons, IMO, should be for those who have been found NOT GUILTY after a re-review of their alleged criminal activity and that the evidence doesn't actually substantiates their arrest, trial and incarceration... OR that they do something so significant for their COUNTRY that it would be right to "forgive" their past indescretions... (excepting of course murder/rape/molestation).
Looking at those on the list seems to be a "pat on the back" for taking the heat off the commander in chief. Ollie North anyone??

 

[Gordon Nore]

... Even if I applied for a pres pardon... and get it... it still doesn't erase what I've done eh? Still there... just they can't hold it against me anymore... same with anyone else who gets pardon...

Serious question, if I may. Apart from Presidential pardons, are there other means of getting a pardon in the US?

I ask this because this federal service is advertised on TV here:

http://www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca/infocntr/factsh/pardon.htm

The Canadian gov't doesn't actually advertise it, but there are agencies that help with the application process:

 

[Ninjamom]

for whom? it basically lets a guilty person off the hook for what they've done...

Occasionally it can be used to free an innocent person who has been railroaded for political reasons and doesn't have the means to pursue real justice through the courts (the two border guards arrested and sentenced for attempted murder based solely on the word of the drug-peddler they were chasing, come to mind as an example).

Ollie North anyone??

Bad example. He was found 'not guilty' of all charges. In his case, a presidential pardon prevented further charges based on the same occurences (a side-step around double-jeopardy laws, used because his prosecution was mostly a political witch-hunt).

Serious question, if I may. Apart from Presidential pardons, are there other means of getting a pardon in the US?

Yes. For most offenses (non-federal) you can appeal to your state governor for a pardon. I don't know the process for pardons from federal offenses, but I would recommend contacting the local offices of your US Senator.

Pardons are often given if the circumstances of your prosecution and conviction leave some reasonable degree of doubt as to your guilt (it does happen). They are also sometimes given as one way to restore the voting rights of someone who has lost them through a felony conviction, then become a model citizen.

 

[elder999]

Bad example. He was found 'not guilty' of all charges. In his case, a presidential pardon prevented further charges based on the same occurences (a side-step around double-jeopardy laws, used because his prosecution was mostly a political witch-hunt).

Actually, Oliver North was indicted on sixteen counts, and convicted of three felonies:accepting an illegal gratuity, obstructing a Congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents. He received a three year suspended sentence and two years of probation, 1200 hrs. of community servoce and $150,000 in fines. His conviction was overturned on appeal, due to conditions arising from his partial immunity for Congressional testimony-not that that immunity was necessarily violated, the court ruled that it had not been adequately investigated in the course of convicting him. Subsequently, all charges were dismissed.

 

[Ninjamom]

....His conviction was overturned on appeal

Not guilty.

 

[elder999]

Not guilty.

Actually, no.

The appeal, assisted by the ACLU, was based on the grounds that the prosecution did inadequate investigation into whether or not simply bringing the charges and testimony related to them was a violation of North's partial immunity. While the prosecution had carefully distanced themselves from his congressional testimony, and had not relied upon it in any way in obtaining a conviction, going so far as to not read newspaper accounts of his testimony, and empaneling a jury that had not as well, the appeals court found that possible conflicts had been inadequately investigated. At which point a judge later dismissed all charges.

Of course, North could have, at that point, been charged again-without any violation of double-jeopardy. The pardon precluded this, and made his immunity total, rather than partial. He was never found "not guilty," and was, by his own admission guilty as the proverbial fox in the chicken coop.

But, we digress-executive pardons are completely at the disgression of the executive. Just have to live with it-at least BuSh didn't pardon Scooter Libby-yet.

 

[Empty Hands]

(the two border guards arrested and sentenced for attempted murder based solely on the word of the drug-peddler they were chasing, come to mind as an example).

That, and the fact that they tried to cover up the incident by destroying evidence. Nonetheless, I'm sure Ramos and Compean will get their pardon, they are lionized martyrs for the Republican base.

 

[MA-Caver]

Bush pardons 14 and commutes 2 prison sentences

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – Mon Nov 24, 6:20 pm ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081124/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_pardons

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush has granted pardons to 14 individuals and commuted the prison sentences of two others convicted of misdeeds ranging from drug offenses to tax evasion, from wildlife violations to bank embezzlement, The Associated Press learned Monday.
The new round of White House pardons are Bush's first since March and come less than two months before he will end his presidency. The crimes committed by those on the list also include offenses involving hazardous waste, food stamps, and the theft of government property.
Bush has been stingy during his time in office about handing out such reprieves.
Including these actions, he has granted a total of 171 and eight commutations. That's less than half as many as Presidents Clinton or Reagan issued during their time in office. Both were two-term presidents.

Drug addicts and thieves... sheesh!