BTW, I do have one individual who I believe has well earned a pardon.
Here is a man who made a youthful mistake, but owned up to it and used his time in prison productively. He became a jailhouse attorney and got TWO cases accepted by the Supreme Court of the United States. Many actual attorneys never even get ONE.
He got out, went to college then to law school. Clerked for United States Circuit Judge Janice Rogers Brown at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He is now a Professor of Law at Georgetown University and gives much time (often pro bono) to sentencing reform efforts as well as efforts to shorten unjustly long sentences.
He has well earned a pardon and should be pardoned.
I was just commenting on the focus of the number. As Nick pointed out:
And a lot of those lib commentaries seem outraged at the number as if it is excessive.
I’ll say this, and I’ve said it before: If I were president, I might not ever pardon anyone. I would stand firmly behind our justice system. Just as I don’t want legislation from the bench, I don’t want judiciary action from the oval office.
What would a pardon change for this guy? He’s out of jail, and has a career and productive life now. He’s a lawyer (successful one!) and a law prof at a prestigious university.
It would restore his right to vote, right to keep and bear arms, right to serve on a jury and would give him access to certain career opportunities barred by his current status as a felon.
I’ve always believed that a guy who satisfied all imposed penalties and probationary periods should have those rights restored to begin with. Kind of like a person can restore his credit standing after a bankruptcy.
A presidential pardon for one guy doesn’t correct the same situation for 1000 others. It’s like government picking winners.
Caught a bit of commentary on this subject today…And the author of an article on it made a good point. It’s not like Trump is saying that these guys have paid their debt to society…The way Trump is portraying it is that, it’s like these guys shouldn’t have done time to begin with…
Want to bet on how quickly it happens? I’ll say within minutes of Stone’s sentence, if not seconds. Maybe even before the length of the sentence is actually announced.
Some people deserve to be in prison for a long time. Others, not so much. Case by case basis. That said, granted that it was a healing gesture kind of thing I was full on board with POTUS’s posthumous pardon of Jack Johnson.
I disagree they satisfied all the imposed penalties. Part of the penalties is loss of gun rights and voting rights. whether they should have been is a different argument.
