who is the white house pardon attorney

Who is the acting Pardon Attorney for President Trump?

Jun 03, 2019 · Rosalind Sargent-Burns is a longstanding member of the Office of the Pardon Attorney, having joined the Office in 2008 as an Attorney Advisor. Since that time, she has held various long-term positions of increasing responsibility within the Office, including Designated Agency Ethics Officer, Team Lead, Senior Attorney Advisor over the pardon portfolio, Acting …

Is the White House pardons office soliciting Capitol insurrectionists to apply?

Dec 18, 2012 · The findings determined that in overseeing the case of Clarence Aaron, the pardons attorney, Ronald L. Rodgers, engaged in “conduct that fell substantially short of the high standards expected of...

What does the Office of the Pardon Attorney do?

May 17, 2021 · But the White House has indicated that it will rely on the rigorous application vetting process overseen by the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney. Cedric Richmond, who leads the...

Is the White House holding multiple pardons meetings since election?

Jan 10, 2021 · Checked on Google and there is a White House Office of Pardon attorney. This is either a ruse to collect names for the sake of justice or …

Who is the current US pardon attorney?

Elizabeth G. OyerMeet the Pardon Attorney Elizabeth G. Oyer was appointed to the position of Pardon Attorney by Attorney General Merrick Garland on April 10, 2022.

Does the White House have a pardon attorney?

All executive clemency related correspondence is handled by the Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney (Pardon Attorney). Correspondence sent directly to the White House or the DOJ leadership concerning the President's executive clemency power is forwarded to PARDON for an official response.Dec 7, 2021

How long does it take to get a pardon from the president?

five yearsFive Year Waiting Period Under the Department of Justice's rules governing petitions for executive clemency, there is a minimum waiting period of five years after completion of sentence before anyone convicted of a federal offense becomes eligible to apply for a presidential pardon.

Who can grant pardons?

the President of the United StatesIn the United States, the pardon power for offenses against the United States is granted to the President of the United States under Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution which states that the President "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in ...

What is presidential pardon in South Africa?

A presidential pardon is a complete forgiveness and absolution of a serious crime by the government. To pardon a person is to forgive a person for his/her deeds, as if one was never convicted. According to our constitution the decision to pardon or not can be taken only by the South African president.

What is clemency vs pardon?

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.

How many pardons did previous presidents make?

SummaryPresidentPardonsGerald Ford409Jimmy Carter566Ronald Reagan406George H. W. Bush7741 more rows

How do you ask for a pardon?

If you want to request a presidential pardon you must submit your application to the Office of the Pardon Attorney. Whenever the Office of the Pardon Attorney receives a presidential pardon application, the Office reviews, investigates, and prepares a recommendation about the application.May 20, 2018

What is a presidential amnesty?

Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, amnestia, "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet been ...

Does presidential pardon erase conviction?

A presidential pardon restores various rights lost as a result of the pardoned offense and may lessen to some extent the stigma arising from a conviction, but does not erase or expunge the record of the conviction itself.

What is the pardoning power of president?

Article 72 of the Constitution gives the president the right to grant pardons, remit, or commute the sentences of anyone convicted of any crime. The power to pardon is exercised by the president on the advice of the Council of Ministers. A pardon is an act of mercy, forgiveness, clemency.Mar 13, 2022

Who may grant probation?

A judge may grant probation as an alternative to imposing a jail sentence. Probation is ordered when the circumstances and seriousness of the crime suggest that the probationer is not a threat to society and that incarceration is not an appropriate punishment.Oct 13, 2021

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 led the push to restore voting rights to more than 1.4 million Floridians with felony convictions?

Desmond Meade led a successful push in 2018 to restore voting rights to more than 1.4 million Floridians with felony convictions. Credit... Saul Martinez for The New York Times. The A.C.L.U. and other criminal justice groups see an early test for Mr. Biden in the thousands of nonviolent federal prisoners who were released to home confinement in an ...

How many clemency grants did Biden get?

Instead, Mr. Biden’s team has pointed to the approach adopted by President Barack Obama, who issued more than 1,900 clemency grants.

Is Biden working on clemency?

But White House officials have indicated in private conversations with criminal justice activists, clemency seekers and their allies that Mr. Biden’s team is working with the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney to process clemency requests with an eye toward having the president sign some before the 2022 midterm elections.

Did Biden apologize for the 1994 crime bill?

On the campaign trail, Mr. Biden apologized for portions of one of the more aggressive tough-on-crime measures he championed, the 1994 crime bill. And as president, he has surrounded himself with supporters of overhauling the system. The White House has publicly offered few details about his plans for issuing pardons, which wipe out convictions, ...

Who is Dorsey Nunn?

Dorsey Nunn, the executive director of Legal Services for Prisoners With Children , said the conversation with White House officials had left him hopeful. But he expressed skepticism that the administration would be willing to grant clemency to Black Panther activists.

Who is Cedric Richmond?

Image. Cedric Richmond, who leads the White House’s Office of Public Engagement, has long championed efforts to decrease sentences and incarceration rates. Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times.

Is Biden a pardoner?

Biden Is Developing a Pardon Process With a Focus on Racial Justice. As a senator, he backed legislation that led to mass incarceration and long drug sentences. Now his administration is signaling that he could use clemency to address inequities. President Biden could begin using his clemency powers by the midpoint of his term, ...

What is the White House counsel?

The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Office of White House Counsel, a team of lawyers and support staff who provide legal guidance for ...

What is the Office of Counsel to the President?

The Office of Counsel to the President and Vice President was created in 1943, and is responsible for advising on all legal aspects of policy questions; legal issues arising in connection with the President's decision to sign or veto legislation, ethical questions, financial disclosures; and conflicts of interest during employment and post employment. The Counsel's office also helps define the line between official and political activities, oversees executive appointments and judicial selection, handles presidential pardons, reviews legislation and presidential statements, and handles lawsuits against the president in his role as president, as well as serving as the White House contact for the Department of Justice .

What are the advisory boards?

Advisory Boards ( Council for Community Solutions, Corporation for National and Community Service, Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, President's Intelligence Advisory Board, President's Management Advisory Board) Council of Economic Advisers.

Who is Dana Remus?

Dana Remus is the current White House counsel and has served in the role since January 2021.

Does the White House have a personal attorney?

Although the White House counsel offers legal advice to the president and vice president, the counsel does so in the president's and vice president's official capacity, and does not serve as the president's personal attorney.

Who runs the pardon meetings?

White House officials such as Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner have weighed in, but the White House counsel's office runs the meetings, one of the sources said. While such meetings are not unusual and past presidents have issued pardons ...

What did Charles Kushner do in 2004?

In 2004, Charles Kushner pleaded guilty to 16 counts of tax evasion, one count of retaliating against a federal witness -- his brother-in-law -- and another count of lying to the Federal Election Commission.

Does the pardon of Hillary Clinton apply to federal crimes?

She was a state prosecutor and pardons only apply to federal crimes. CNN reported Wednesday that the public should expect a "flurry" of pardons before Trump leaves office, a source close to the White House says, as has happened at the end of previous administrations.

Did Kamala Harris get pardoned?

Lawyers and allies of the President have been lobbying him for pardons ranging from their personal clients to people who Vice President-elect Kamala Harris put behind bars, according to multiple people. She was a state prosecutor and pardons only apply to federal crimes.

Did Jared Kushner get a pardon?

Three sources with knowledge of the situation told CNN Kushner has not been personally involved in advocating for his own father , Charles Kushner, to get a pardon for his felony, but two of the sources said outside criminal justice groups who worked with Jared Kushner in the past have petitioned the White House to consider the pardon.

Is it okay for Trump to pardon his family?

This source, familiar with discussions on the matter, told CNN some of the President's advisers believe that it would perfectly fine for Trump to pardon his family members and other associates preemptively, even though they haven't been charged with any crimes. CNN's Jim Acosta contributed to this report.

Overview

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.

History

Steps and process

Further reading

External links