Commutation
Tennessee Gov. Grants 23 Clemency Requests on Last Day in Office
On his last day in office, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted executive clemency to 23 people. The essential purpose, Haslam said in a written statement, was to better allow people with convictions to have another chance to become contributing members of society. Tennessee Clemency: Gov. Haslam’s Position “These individuals receiving pardons have made…
Read MoreColorado Gov. Squeezes 33 More Clemencies in Before End of Term
Only a week after Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper granted clemency for six Colorado offenders, he ordered clemency for 33 others. This brings his total to 156 pardons and 18 commutations during his eight years in office. Timing of Colorado Clemency Grants Clemencies are often issued in December, as were Hickenlooper’s, perhaps because the…
Read MoreOutgoing Calif. Governor Issues 274 Grants of Clemency as Farewell Gift
On Christmas Eve, 2018, as California Governor Jerry Brown neared the end of his term, he left some citizens a parting gift: 143 pardons and 131 commutations. The San Jose Mercury News noted that 16 of the pardons were given to people convicted of crimes in the San Francisco Bay Area. The paper also…
Read MoreOutgoing Colorado Governor Grants Clemency to Six Prisoners Doing Life
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, in his final month in office, granted clemency to six Colorado prisoners who were sentenced to life in prison without parole. All six were young at the time of their offenses, and they will now have a chance to go home. “These decisions are not made lightly,” Hickenlooper said in a…
Read MorePresidential Clemency
The presidential clemency power is one of the most powerful tools a President can use. The presidential clemency power can be used for mercy and to instigate policy change. Clemency is defined as mercy or leniency. The presidential clemency power the President of the United States holds is extremely broad and powerful. Many powers the…
Read MoreExecutive Clemency
The executive clemency power is an extremely broad and powerful ability of a President and a governor. This power can be used to promote policies and to render mercy. Article 2, Section II of the Constitution states: “The President…shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases…
Read MorePresidential Clemency Authority: What You Need to Know
Philip Vigol. Robert E. Lee. David Brown. John Fremont. Pierre Lafitte. Al Jennings. Samuel Mudd. Marc Rich. Patty Hearst. Jimmy Hoffa. Who were these people? Some of their names may be familiar to you, others completely unknown. They lived in different times, and were accused of or committed different crimes: treason, sedition, murder, bank robbery,…
Read MoreWhat You Need To Know About The Pardon Attorney Office
Clemency is a difficult process on both ends. It’s difficult for applicants to get recognized by the President. And for the President, it is nearly impossible to consider each and every clemency petition. The Pardon Attorney Office exists for these reasons. The Office helps the clemency application and approval process. While the President has exclusive…
Read MoreWhat Does “Commutation of a Sentence” Mean?
Both governors and president possess the power to commute a prison sentence. This clemency power can be used to make a statement about criminal justice reform and to show mercy. Commutation of a sentence means a reduction in punishment. Typically, a commutation lessens a prison sentence, but it can also reduce court-ordered fines. A commuted…
Read MoreClemency by the Numbers
Clemency statistics are now widely kept by the Justice Department and can be easily analyzed. It is useful to look at the numbers to determine how a president used his clemency power. Office of the Pardon Attorney The Office of the Pardon Attorney, under the purview of the Department of Justice, is the office that…
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