The President is given the pardon power for federal crimes under Art. II, section 2 of the Constitution, which states that the President “shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment”. Pardon petitions are addressed to the President but usually referred further to the Office of the Pardon Attorney for a non-binding recommendation. A symbolic use of this power is the annual pardoning of a turkey as part of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.
In 1830 James Porter and George Wilson were convicted on several counts of stealing mail and jeopardizing the life of a mail carrier. They were convicted, and Porter was executed soon after. Wilson’s influential friends secured a pardon from President … Continue reading