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uppityperson

(115,677 posts)
Mon Dec 19, 2016, 06:15 PM Dec 2016

President Obama Grants 153 Commutations and 78 Pardons to Individuals Deserving of a Second Chance

Source: WH blog and HuffPost

Today, President Obama granted clemency to 231 deserving individuals — the most individual acts of clemency granted in a single day by any president in this nation’s history. With today’s 153 commutations, the President has now commuted the sentences of 1,176 individuals, including 395 life sentences. The President also granted pardons to 78 individuals, bringing his total number of pardons to 148. Today’s acts of clemency — and the mercy the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients — exemplify his belief that America is a nation of second chances.

The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use — or have already made use — of a second chance. While each clemency recipient’s story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them. For the pardon recipient, it is the story of an individual who has led a productive and law-abiding post-conviction life, including by contributing to the community in a meaningful way. For the commutation recipient, it is the story of an individual who has made the most of his or her time in prison, by participating in educational courses, vocational training, and drug treatment. These are the stories that demonstrate the successes that can be achieved — by both individuals and society — in a nation of second chances.

Today’s grants signify the President’s continued commitment to exercising his clemency authority through the remainder of his time in office. In 2016 alone, the President has granted clemency to more than 1,000 deserving individuals. The President continues to review clemency applications on an individualized basis to determine whether a particular applicant has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance, and I expect that the President will issue more grants of both commutations and pardons before he leaves office. The mercy that the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients is remarkable, but we must remember that clemency is a tool of last resort and that only Congress can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure over the long run that our criminal justice system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-commutation-pardon-clemency_us_58581b72e4b0b3ddfd8db881
President Barack Obama shortened sentences of 153 federal prisoners on Monday as part of a clemency push before he leaves office in a few weeks.

Obama has now commuted the sentences of 1,176 people during his presidency, and has pardoned 148. The announcement came as the president and his family were in Hawaii for a holiday vacation.

“The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use — or have already made use — of a second chance,” White House counsel Neil Eggleston wrote in a blog post Monday. “While each clemency recipient’s story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them. For the pardon recipient, it is the story of an individual who has led a productive and law-abiding post-conviction life, including by contributing to the community in a meaningful way. For the commutation recipient, it is the story of an individual who has made the most of his or her time in prison, by participating in educational courses, vocational training, and drug treatment.”

Those whose sentences were commuted on Monday, granting them early release, were convicted on drug crimes. Some will be released in 2017 and 2018, while others will have to wait several years before their release date. Obama also granted pardons to 78 individuals on Monday.


Read more: https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/12/19/president-obama-grants-153-commutations-and-78-pardons-individuals-deserving-second
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turbinetree

(24,695 posts)
1. Was Don Siegelman one of those pardoned or had a reduced sentence? Me think's not
Mon Dec 19, 2016, 06:27 PM
Dec 2016

But Bob McDonnell can get a free hall pass--------------correct!!!!

And Sieglman has to wait until August 2017---------------why?



https://free-don.us/

turbinetree

(24,695 posts)
10. Didn't one "guy" in the Bush Crime family by the name of Scooter Libby
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 10:40 AM
Dec 2016

you know the "guy" that helped and take the fall of "outing" a covert CIA Operative while she was under cover. When good old Rove, that puke and Cheney that f***ing murder, ( He got a heart defibrillator implanted in heartless heart by the taxpayers to keep him alive, murdered over 4,685 soldiers based on a lie)

I guess when you commit treason and can possibly get agents of the US Government killed, you get a free pass


What am I exactly missing in my twisted logic of sanity.


I am glad I am not running a democratic campaign , I would throw everything at the opponent and just ask, where were you when this happened, your party did this, and then you run around and say your "patriot" my ass, and wouldn't care if it was 20 years ago, smear them, tag them for what they are, fascists







ffr

(22,668 posts)
12. Spot on. You should be running the democratic campaign
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 12:59 PM
Dec 2016

The list of GOP offenses stretches for miles. Wouldn't be hard to put them in their place. You must have a backbone.

turbinetree

(24,695 posts)
13. If our party hasn't figure this out after this fraud, hacking, rigged election, and
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 01:28 PM
Dec 2016

state actor meddling, ( which in my opinion is an act of war), to get and now have a serial predator in charge of the clown show then I think I am going to reevaluate my position, further to the left of where I am already to the further left.

I don't want a personality campaign anymore, its doesn't work.

I want to throw the entire house and the proverbial sink at them, and if the media comes back and says this a dirty campaign, then turn right around and say why did you or do you give the fascist the opportunity to come on your "shows" and excite treason and not challenge them ( lets say 48 senators circumventing a sitting president with some letter, and having them rant on with hate and fear) with no one and I mean no one there to challenging them back and saying "your a LIAR", prove to me right now, while I fact check your remarks----------------live on the air. It will stop this nonsense right in it tracks. It will show the public what is fact and what is real, none of this let's have discussion that is being presented now for later, that is just so BS.

And has for debates, they were a joke. If the public without being "screened" could have asked questions directly just by raising there hand , then to me that is a debate, ask a question and get a response and then a counter response, it would have shown who was more qualified----------------but nope we have Chris Wallace asking a question about how Social Security is underfunded, just to get that media fascist talking point in, or those emails, Obama should have "fired" Comey right then and there-------------BS


Wado ----Thanks for the compliment. I worked on a local campaign and I saw what political back scratching is all about




Sorry for the rant.....................


ffr

(22,668 posts)
14. I liked that. Rant on. You'd get away with that in one show, but for ratings & revenue, you'll
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 01:37 PM
Dec 2016

need to keep it a horse race. Being fact based will put your news organization out of business. That's a big part of what has been wrong with the M$M more and more. They need to keep the lights on, so they bend over backwards to create false equivalences between candidates that couldn't be further apart if they were water and oil.

Keep your fire burning. So will I.

dicksmc3

(262 posts)
7. You are ABSOLUTELTY RIGHT!!
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 09:06 AM
Dec 2016

The whole Bush admin especially Cheney and Rove should be counting the days in an 8x8 cell. Thanks again Mr. Obama for not bringing those assholes to justice!!

turbinetree

(24,695 posts)
11. You mean it was overturned by cronies in the U.S. Supreme Court
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 11:00 AM
Dec 2016

shocker--------------the same worthless racist court being led by the head racist John Roberts (gutting of voting rights act 1965 and just think on 1/20/2017 he going to swear in a full blown racists, and there both going to be smiling on a podium, while saying they will uphold the Constitution, what a clown show) the same hypocrite that thinks that bribery is just fine and dandy-because after all we now get a fascist in the White House because of Citizens United, and because after all a building is a person.

Let me see if I get the "same justice" if I were to take a Rolex watch , money from some "dude" while not being in government if they want favors from me, and if not, I get "blackmailed"


You make a good point, but I just gotta ask, what do you think of Scooter Libby and how that compares to Siegelman.

I don't like people "outing" CIA operatives and then getting a commutation of a sentence, while someone else is sitting in prison because of trumped up charges of bribery, and having one "turd blossom" running around on tv shows and on campaign trails undermining this country into a full blown fascist state

And if he speaks to the media (Siegelman), they throw him into solitary confinement, sounds like they have a dictatorship down there in that state, and now there current governor is under investigation for bribery, wonder how that will play out, since he doesn't have a (D) in front of his name


McKim

(2,412 posts)
16. Yes! Leonard Peltier is an Old Man Now
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 06:53 PM
Dec 2016

Yes, Leonard Peltier is an old man now who should be at home with his family. I urge everyone on DU to write to our president and ask for his release.

kacekwl

(7,016 posts)
3. I think Obama was a great president
Mon Dec 19, 2016, 07:02 PM
Dec 2016

but not pardoning Don S. and not closing Gitmo , and bailing on single payer , and oh shit I'll stop now.

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