presidential pardon
Chief's criminal reprieve
A presidential pardon is an official act by a head of state that forgives a person for a crime and removes the legal consequences of conviction.
In the United States, the president has nearly unlimited power to pardon federal offenses: The president issued a presidential pardon on his last day in office.
A pardon erases the conviction but doesn't declare innocence—it simply ends punishment and restores rights like voting.
Presidents sometimes issue controversial pardons for political allies or as acts of clemency.
- amnestyGroup pardon from authorities
- controversyProlonged public disagreement
- Watergate scandalPolitical burglary and cover-up
- clemencyMerciful treatment of offenders
- commutationSubstitution of penalties
public opinion · abuse of power · abuse of office · justice · mercy · reprieve · second chance · clean slate · exoneration · rehabilitation · legal immunity · executive order · lame duck · fairness · constitutional power · judicial review · favoritism · transparency
- presidencyOval Office, Washington, executive branch, veto, Adams
- clemencyamnesty, clemency, reprieve, commutation, amnesty law
- Nixon eraNixon, Watergate scandal, resignation, impeachment, coverup
- legal appealslegal appeal, appeal process, appeals court, appeal courts, higher court
- Legal Immunitiessovereign immunity, diplomatic immunity, qualified immunity, absolute immunity, judicial immunity
- record clearingexpungement, clean slate, sealed records, sealing, expunction
presidential pardonconviction
Firmly held belief
criminal conviction · guilty verdict · death sentence · sentence · incarceration
presidential pardonjudicial ruling
Court's binding legal decision
jury verdict · court judgment · criminal trial · trial outcome · court order
presidential pardonpunishment
Penalty for an offense
criminal prosecution · execution · retribution · maximum sentence · harsh sentence
presidential, pardon, president, presidents, presidency, presidencies, preside, presides, presiding