Presidential Pardons Should Not Be Handed Out Like Cheap Party Favors

This past January I watched with horror as the U.S. presidential pardon power was reimagined and desecrated.

When I think of all the people who have dutifully followed the rules to obtain a presidential pardon or sentence commutation, it is stomach turning to see people receiving such relief without ever having applied for it.

Since when did it become acceptable to grant pardons to those yet to be charged with a crime? Who knew that there was such a thing as a preemptive pardon? Doling out pardons for family members? I can’t help but shake my head in disbelief.

Lost in Translation: When Does Someone Deserve a Presidential Pardon?

Why have those in power shown such disrespect for the basic tenets supporting the issuance of a pardon or sentence commutation?

Acceptance of responsibility, an admission of guilt, or genuine remorse, proof of rehabilitation (e.g., obtaining an education, securing a career path with a livable wage, giving back to one’s community as a form of repayment) are just a few of the characteristics typically present when someone applies for a pardon or sentence commutation.

Call me a purist, if you will. But to me this is the way the pardon process should work. If there are rules to apply, follow them, then get in line and wait for a decision. It’s really that simple. There are individuals who have been waiting more than a decade for a ruling on their presidential pardon request. 

Presidential Pardons Have Become “Get-out-of-Jail” Cards for the Wealthy, Well-Heeled, and Politically Connected Among Us

If U.S. presidents, regardless of party affiliation, are determined to hand out pardons and sentence commutations like cheap party favors to the wealthy and politically connected, then I suggest this practice be given its own separate category so as not to be confused with a traditional pardon. We might consider calling this new form of relief: the U.S. Presidential You’ve Been Excused Award.