President Joe Biden pardoned 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent offenses during the coronavirus pandemic and shortened the sentences of about 1,500 individuals released from prison and placed on home confinement. In contemporary history, it is the biggest one-day clemency action.
The commutations announced Thursday are available to those who completed at least one year of their home confinement sentences following their release.
Some inmates were released to help restrict the infection since it spread very well in prisons. One in five inmates had COVID-19 at some point, according to an Associated Press count.
Biden stated that he will continue to consider clemency requests and take further action in the upcoming weeks. Shortly before he left office in 2017, Barack Obama issued the second-largest single-day act of clemency, totaling 330.
In a statement, Biden said, “We built America on the promise of possibility and second chances.” In my capacity as president, I have the immense honor of showing mercy to those who have shown repentance and rehabilitation, giving Americans the chance to resume their regular lives and give back to their communities, and working to eliminate sentencing inequities for non-violent offenders, particularly those convicted of drug offenses.
Before the mercy, his son Hunter, who was charged with tax and weapons offenses, was granted a sweeping pardon. Before the Trump administration takes office in January, Biden is being pressured by advocacy organizations to pardon a large number of convicts, including those on federal death row.
In order to avoid possible retaliation when he assumes office, he is also thinking about granting preemptive pardons to individuals who looked into Trump’s attempt to change the 2020 presidential election results.
The term “clemency” refers to the president’s power to commute a sentence, which lessens or does away with penalty but does not absolve the offender, or to pardon, which absolves a person of guilt and punishment.
By exercising the office’s authority to expunge records or terminate prison terms, it is usual for a president to offer clemency at the conclusion of his tenure.
White House attorneys said people who were pardoned Thursday had changed their ways and were convicted of nonviolent crimes including drug charges.
They include a doctorate student studying molecular biosciences, a church deacon who has served as a youth and addiction counselor, a lady who has directed emergency response teams during natural catastrophes, and a decorated veteran of the armed forces.
In the past, the president has issued 21 more pardons and 122 commutations. Along with former US service personnel convicted of breaking a now-repealed military prohibition on consensual gay sex, he has also issued broad pardons to anyone convicted of simple possession and use of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia.
Environmental and human rights attorney Steven Donziger was imprisoned or placed under house arrest for three years on contempt of court charges related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and thirty-four other lawmakers are urging the president to pardon Donziger.
Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of federal death row convicts is being supported by others. Attorney General Merrick Garland stopped federal executions.
Executions are probably going to restart now that Trump is back in office, despite Biden’s 2020 campaign pledge to abolish the death penalty.
Trump oversaw an extraordinary number of federal executions during the height of the outbreak during his first term in office.
Before Biden leaves office on January 20, more pardons are anticipated, but it is uncertain if he will move to shield himself from possible Trump prosecution—an unproven use of the authority.
According to people familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions, the president has taken the idea seriously and has been thinking about it for up to six months prior to the presidential election, but he is worried about the precedent it would set.
But the pardons would have to be accepted by the recipients. Such a pardon from Biden would be unnecessary, according to new California Senator Adam Schiff, who chaired the congressional committee that looked into the deadly Jan. 6 insurgency. The president shouldn’t be spending his last days in office worrying about this, Schiff said.
Biden had frequently vowed not to pardon his son before doing so. He said politics had tainted the case in a statement outlining his turnaround.
Following the ruling, politicians and criminal justice groups stepped up public pressure on the administration to extend the same power to regular individuals.
According to a survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only roughly two out of ten Americans agreed with his choice.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.