People sometimes believe that you need to admit you are guilty if you accept a pardon for those alleged crimes. In fact, they may even be hesitant to accept the pardon on these grounds. They don’t want to face civil action afterward, or they don’t want to admit guilt...
In the legal sense, clemency means leniency and compassion by a judicial office toward a criminal offender. It is less an individual legal action and more a gesture of forgiveness approved by the U.S. president. Offenders can seek several forms of relief through a...
In the United States of America, the President is afforded rights under the Constitution to grant clemency to people who have been convicted of crimes. Each State also has its own Constitution which affords the Governor the same right for other offenses. What the...
Executive clemency is an umbrella term that covers pardons (Presidential or Gubernatorial) and the commutation of federal sentences. We believe that not enough U.S. citizens understand that they may qualify for executive clemency. If you are interested in clemency or...
Presidential pardons have been a part of the United States justice system almost since the beginning, starting in 1789. These powers have been used many times. For instance, FDR pardoned nearly 3,000 people while he was in office – though he did serve for four terms,...
A person who’s been convicted of a federal crime might be looking at considerable time behind bars. Some might maintain that they shouldn’t have to serve their entire sentence. Others may admit that they committed the crime, but might be truly sorry for the situation....
Clemency is one way that those convicted of murder may avoid the death penalty in some states. This recently became an issue in Oklahoma when the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus raised concerns and requested the governor to grant a man convicted of murder clemency. ...
You made a mistake, but you do not want to be defined by the mistake. Even if you try to put your conviction and past behind you, the record of it still exists. Fortunately, you can nullify a legal conviction through a pardon and an expungement. A federal pardon is...
When you are found guilty of a crime, the consequences of your conviction and the resulting criminal record can haunt you for a lifetime. A conviction can remain a black mark on your name anytime a background check is run on you. It may also hurt your chances of...