what is the 'office of the pardon attorney'?

by Claud Robel 3 min read

The major functions of OPA are to: Receive, evaluate, and investigate clemency petitions submitted to the President and prepare the recommendation of the Department as to the appropriate disposition of each petition for the signature of the Deputy Attorney General.Oct 27, 2021

What does the Pardon Attorney Office do?

Office of the Pardon Attorney. The Office of the Pardon Attorney assists the president in the exercise of executive clemency by reviewing clemency applications and making recommendations. Agency Details Website: Office of the Pardon Attorney . Contact: Contact the Office of the Pardon Attorney . Main Address: 145 N St., NE

Who is the acting Pardon Attorney for President Trump?

Apr 29, 2020 · All requests for executive clemency for federal offenses are directed to the Pardon Attorney for review, investigation, and preparation of the Department’s recommendation to the President, which is signed by the Deputy Attorney General, for the final dispositions of each application. The Office of the Pardon Attorney also prepares the documents the President …

What does pardon stand for?

Dec 29, 2018 · The Pardon Attorney Office exists for these reasons. The Office helps the clemency application and approval process . While the President has exclusive power to grant clemency petitions , the Pardon Attorney manages each petition leading up …

Where do I send my pardon letter?

The Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON) is headed by the Pardon Attorney, a key career senior executive service (SES) position. The Pardon Attorney is appointed and designated authority to carry out the mission of the office by the Attorney General but reports directly to the Deputy Attorney General for operational leadership and guidance.

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Who has authority to pardon?

the PresidentThe Constitution grants the President the “Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” 11. U.S. Const. art. II, § 2, cl.Jun 10, 2021

Who is the White House pardon attorney?

Rosalind Sargent-BurnsMeet the Acting Pardon Attorney Rosalind Sargent-Burns was designated Acting Pardon Attorney by Attorney General William Barr on May 28, 2019. She has been a member of the Office of the Pardon Attorney for over 10 years.

How do pardons work in the US?

A pardon is an expression of the President's forgiveness and ordinarily is granted in recognition of the applicant's acceptance of responsibility for the crime and established good conduct for a significant period of time after conviction or completion of sentence. It does not signify innocence.Dec 7, 2021

How do I get a pardon from the White House?

The final decision on whether to issue a pardon rests with the President. To request a pardon, an individual seeking a pardon submits a formal application to the Office of the Pardon Attorney.

What's the difference between pardon and clemency?

Clemency is a general term used for the act of reducing the penalties of a crime, similar to a commutation. Also, pardons are actually considered a form of clemency. If you receive a pardon, you are always receiving clemency, but if you receive clemency, you are not always receiving a pardon.

What does pardons mean in English?

Definition of pardon (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : indulgence sense 4. 2 : the excusing of an offense without exacting a penalty offered a pardon to the draft evader. 3a : a release from the legal penalties of an offense.

Can pardons be revoked?

The pardon is granted by Presidential Decree; if the pardon is denied, the President decides by order. Traditionally pardons are granted during the Christmas period. The pardon can be revoked by the President of the Republic.

What happens when you are pardoned?

A pardon is forgiveness by the governor for a crime committed. A person who is pardoned cannot be further punished for the forgiven offense and should not be penalized for having a record of the offense.

What does pardon mean in law?

A pardon is the use of executive power that exempts the individual to whom it was given from punishment. ... Unlike a commutation, which shortens or eliminates an individual's punishment, a pardon absolves the individual of guilt. For example, President Trump commuted Roger Stone's prison sentence so that Mr.

What is a pardon investigation?

The pardon investigation is a service provided to the Pardons Board by Parole and Probation which delivers an objective evaluation of the pardons applicant in the form of a report.

How do I write a letter to pardon myself?

Introduce yourself. Begin your letter by stating your name and place of residence as well as any other required or relevant information regarding your identity. State clearly and succinctly that you are writing to support the person's application for a pardon.Sep 19, 2020

How hard is it to get a presidential pardon?

In order to get a Presidential pardon, you first must have been convicted of a federal offense or of an offense in the District of Columbia. The President cannot pardon state conviction. Instead, only your Governor can pardon state convictions.

Where Did The Pardon Attorney's Office Come From?

In 1893, the President signed an executive order granting the Department of Justice power to manage administrative and public relations tasks for a...

What Is The Pardon Attorney Office ?

As mentioned, the Department of Justice has assisted the President in executing his clemency power for over 100 years. This Order transferred the p...

Who Is The Current Pardon Attorney?

Rosalind Sargent-Burns has been the acting as the current pardon attorney doj(Updated June 3, 2019)

How Does Pardon Attorney Office Influence the President?

The Pardon Attorney Office's influence over the President has been called into question because of this authority.Only the individuals selected by...

What Exactly Does The Pardon Attorney Do?

From conducting investigations to handling public relations, the Pardon Attorney's main focus is to assist the President. First and foremost, the P...

Doesn't The President Have Absolute Pardon Power?

Yes and no. The Department of Justice (doj) gained some clemency authority in 1893. This power includes clemency petition processing and advising t...

How should I contact Office of the Pardon Attorney Department of Justice ?

EMAILYou can email Office of Pardon Attorney via email at [email protected] ( All the attachments must be in pdf format)MailYou can write...

What is the Office of Pardon Attorney?

For over 125 years, the President has relied on the Department of Justice, and particularly the Office of the Pardon Attorney, for assistance in the exercise of the executive clemency power granted to the President by Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution.

What is executive clemency?

Executive clemency may take several forms, including pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fine or restitution, or reprieve. All requests for executive clemency for federal offenses are directed to the Pardon Attorney for review, investigation, and preparation of the Department’s recommendation to the President, ...

Pardon Attorney Office Doj in National Headlines

In recent years, the Pardon Attorney Office doj has come under fire. Most notably, perhaps, was with President George W. Bush's pardon attorney, Ronald Rogers. Rogers supposedly misrepresented the facts of an application submitted by Clarence Aaron, who was serving a triple life sentence for a drug-related charge.

Criticisms of the Pardon Attorney Office DOJ

Common cited reasons in protest of the Pardon Attorney Office are that it is understaffed and politically motivated.

What is the office of the pardon attorney?

The Office of the Pardon Attorney handles all and every clemency related correspondence and issue, including petitions and applications. This involves several steps. The Office receives and reviews clemency correspondences, and investigates applications along with the files sent with them to make more valid the petitioner's plea for pardoning. It then prepares a recommendation for each application, and sends it to the president for his final decision as to whether or not to grant a pardon.

Why are posthumous pardons rare?

Posthumous pardons are rare because it is generally Department of Justice policy to not accept requests for non-living persons. This is due to the limited resources and personnel at the Department of Justice, and cases involving living persons take precedence over those who are deceased. The same procedure and reasoning are applied to clemency applications for federal misdemeanors, giving precedent to cases involving federal felony convictions. This structure is designed to allow the DOJ to devote its time to those who will receive the greatest benefit from Federal clemency. Only Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, and Trump have granted posthumous pardons.

Who Is The Pardon Attorney?

The Pardon Attorney is a person who helps the President of the United States in granting or denying executive clemency. He or she works for the Department of Justice. This is the department that has been responsible for assisting the President with pardon cases for over 100 years.

Getting a Presidential Pardon

As you can see, many more clemency applications are denied than granted. It can also be difficult to obtain a presidential pardon. In order to improve your chances of having a pardon granted, you should seek the assistance of a pardon lawyer to help you establish your pardon application.

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Overview

The Office of the Pardon Attorney, within the United States Department of Justice, in consultation with the Attorney General of the United States or his delegate, assists the president of the United States in the exercise by him of executive clemency as authorized by Article II, Section 2, of the US Constitution. Under the Constitution, the president's clemency power extends only to federal criminal offenses. All requests for executive clemency for federal offenses are directed to the Of…

History

Since 1789 various offices within the federal government have provided the president with administrative support for the exercise of executive clemency. A presidential order in 1865 formally delegated this responsibility to the Department of Justice. The office's current name was adopted in 1894.
The power of clemency is "one of the most unlimited powers bestowed on the president by the C…

Pardoning standards

When the president proposes to exercise his or her executive clemency, the case is directed to the Office of the Pardon Attorney for review.
There are five standards for someone to be considered to be pardoned. Generally, the petitioner must be in a good standing during their sentence and must wait a period of at least five years before applying to pardon. However, this five-year wait period can be waived.

Steps and process

The Office of the Pardon Attorney handles all and every clemency related correspondence and issue, including petitions and applications. This involves several steps. The Office receives and reviews clemency correspondences, and investigates applications along with the files sent with them to make more valid the petitioner's plea for pardoning. It then prepares a recommendation for each application, and sends it to the president for his final decision as to whether or not to gr…

Further reading

• Crouch, Jeffrey (2009). The Presidential Pardon Power. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0700616466.

External links