What these law-change posts cover

A law-change post on Clemency.com records something new in federal clemency: a Justice Department rule or form, a statute that changes what a pardon does, or a public list of grants from the Office of the Pardon Attorney. The posts are newest first. The date in the headline is the date of the event, not a promise that the same relief is open now.

The posts below include grant announcements and plain-English notes on what a pardon does and does not do, including fines already paid, immigration, jury service, and federal firearm rights. A grant list is a record of warrants the President has signed. It does not say who may file next. A pardon, a commutation, and remission of an unpaid fine are different requests under 28 C.F.R. § 1.1. The comparison is on our page about pardon versus commutation. The Department's filing rules are summarized in the clemency rules.

This category is federal only. The President's clemency power covers offenses against the United States, not a state conviction. For the whole index, including the older guides, use all news and guides. Request a consultation and tell us what happened. We'll listen, tell you whether we can help, and explain what comes next.

Read a grant post for what was signed, and a rules post for what changed in the process. A commutation shortens a sentence that is still being served. A pardon is forgiveness, usually asked for after the sentence, and it does not erase the conviction. Remission releases only the unpaid part of a fine or restitution. Which request fits depends on the sentence, not on the most recent list of grants. What clemency means defines the four forms.