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"Obama should exercise the pardon power"

By Douglas A. Berman

The title of this post is the headline of this new commentary in the National Law Journal from Kenneth Lee, who served as an associate counsel to President George W. Bush and assisted with presidential pardons. Here are some excerpts: President Obama's inaction on pardons is understandable. President Ford grievously damaged his re-election prospects by pardoning Nixon. And President Clinton's midnight pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich generated a bitter and bipartisan backlash. For presidents, it may seem that there are substantial political liabilities but no real short-term benefits in issuing pardons. Yet the pardon power is an important tool to provide a second chance for hard-luck Americans as well as to redeem the reputations of successful individuals who continue to bear the burden for mistakes made years ago...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on April 09, 2010 (boomark / email).