Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road drug marketplace
Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road drug marketplace
Ulbricht, sentenced to life in prison in 2015, given ‘full and unconditional’ pardon by president
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Could someone explain like to an non American why the president gets to pardon people at all?
If someone committed a crime they're guilty, if there's new evidence that they're not guilty then that's what appeals are for.
My best understanding is that it was a historic right of kings, governors, etc. The idea was to show mercy to those who may have been convicted wrongly, or to people convicted of laws that have been overturned.
Trump is abusing it in ways never done before to payback political supporters.
TBF Biden abused it as well in pardoning his son.
Carter's blanket pardon of Vietnam War draft dodgers was pretty important
Yes - exactly. That's the sort of high-minded use that I believe the framers were considering.
Sir, you look like the piss boy!
Yeah? And you look like a bucket of shit.
Sounds like a rule that very much should have been left in the 17th century
Wasn't there a situation where he did not pardon his son?
Same situation, he just waited until later in his presidency
So first he didn't and then he did? Alright
Just FYI this is not just an American thing. In Italy for example the President of the republic can cancel or amend sentences too, and it does happen relatively often, although not in the same partisan way as in the US (but that's also because the president in Italy is a neutral and representative position).
Some example from few years ago when the president graced 33 people (each with a specific articulated motivation) https://www.ilpost.it/2021/12/10/mattarella-grazia-sette-persone-sebastian-oberleteir-heinrich/ (in Italian, but you can translate if you wish).