A Pardon for Stone -- Between a Rock and a Hard Place for Trump.

[TruckFump]

When a person is pardoned -- in essence he or she admits that they committed the crimes alleged and found guilty thereof. A pardon does NOT adjudicate the convicted person to a status of factual innocence. In the case of Roger Stone, this is one of the crimes for which he was convicted:

"Roger Stone sentenced to more than three years in prison for Trump cover-up"

“He was not prosecuted, as some have complained, for standing up for the president,” Jackson said. “He was prosecuted for covering up for the president.”

https://fortune.com/2020/02/20/roger-stone-sentenced-to-more-than-three-years-in-prison-for-trump-cover-up/

A pardon is NOT an exoneration, it is not a status of factual innocence. So, if Trump pardons, Stone, IMO, it is an admission by Trump that Stone in fact and legally was guilty of a cover-up of the conduct of Trump. If Trump does not pardon Stone, then the verdict re a "cover-up" by Stone for Trump stands.

So Trump -- meet Stone, Rock and a Hard Place.

The manner in which Judge Jackson announced the sentencing -- she did a great job of painting Trump into a corner.

[walkingman]

1. Anyone that's paying attention knows the truth - do you really think Trump cares what people think?

[TruckFump]

8. In battleground states, yes.

The hardcore MAGAts don't give a shit...tRump is their Gawd.

However, for those who did vote for tRump, but had been Obama voters and did not like Hillary, these people could make a difference. Pardoning Stone or leaving the guilty verdict in place does not help tRump one way or the other. Roger covered up for him and it will make a difference to some people.

[still_one]

2. He will pardon him, but only after the election and n November

[TruckFump]

9. I agree because at that point, it does not matter one way or the other.

Right now, IMO, Roger is still a topical subject. Cannot do now.

But whatever way it goes, pardon or no pardon, Roger covered for him and a pardon does not equal factual innocence.

[still_one]

10. He has been guilty of a lot of things for a long time

[Chainfire]

11. Or when

He needs a distraction.

[ALBliberal]

3. Trump won't care sadly. He might even be happier

to pardon him since he is a convicted felon. In his mind and his cult’s minds his pardons wash away convictions. Absolutely false of course but facts and truth mean nothing to him or his followers.

[dalton99a]

4. Stone will get his pardon.

Trump doesn't give a shit about judges

[Under The Radar]

5. Yea but Usually when a person is Impeached.....

It is a permanent mark of poor behavior and they live the rest of their days in shame. But shame doesn’t effect this crowd when they claim exoneration because they weren’t imprisoned.
The normal rules don’t apply here.

[beachbumbob]

6. will make trump a person of interest if state laws were violated and AG's go forward

as Stone's evidence can be introduced as a finding of fact.

[exboyfil]

7. A bunch of pardons the day after election

irrespective of who wins. I suspect many more if he loses (revenge to sow chaos - maybe even for cash).

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. Isn't all this a bit subtle for Trump's child-mind?

All he wants is for Roger to get out of jail and for Roger to love Trump.

Roger will be even more expressive of gratitude than Blagojavich.

[TruckFump]

13. IMO, Trump NEEDS to see himself as perfect because he is a narcissist.

Roger is a big, black mark on how Trump sees his absolute perfection -- particularly it questions if he truly won 2016 -- he did not really win because he had to get the "prize" by cheating.

[lame54]

14. Can't pardon someone who was wrongly convicted?