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How the Grinch stole clemency: Christmastime pardons trivialize process

Our pal P.S. Ruckman over at Pardon Power pointed me to his terrific piece on George H.W. Bush's pardon of Houston-born basketball great Charles "Tex" Harrison, the first black player named an "All-American" and a long-time star and coach of the Harlem Globetrotters who'd been convicted of marijuana possession in 1965. I didn't know that history and I bet some of y'all didn't, either, so those interested should give it a read.And speaking of pardons, it's December which means it's pardon season. Ruckman is fond of noting that half of all pardons are issued in December, and I'd expect Governor Rick Perry's usual Christmas pardons to come out like clockwork any old time now.Numerous other blogs and MSM outlets have been rightly lamenting President Obama's Grinch-like clemency for 9 penny ante defendants, in an act with little more practical significance than the pardoning of Thanksgiving turkeys...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on December 08, 2010 (boomark / email).