Pardons 101

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The US Constitution grants the President the right to issue pardons, but what is a pardon? What does it mean to receive a pardon from the President, and how can it undo the damage of a weaponized justice system?

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A pardon is one form of "clemency" the President can grant. Clemency comes from the root word "mercy" and traditionally pardons were/are issued as an act of mercy to those who had been guilty of an offense.

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In fact, throughout history, there are those Americans who have refused a Presidential pardon because they did not want to be perceived as guilty by accepting a pardon.  Receiving a presidential pardon does not erase the crime, nor expunge the criminal record of the pardoned individual.  It is instead a "forgiveness" for the crime based on the President's authority.

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This forgiveness can be based on a miscarriage of justice needing rectified, as we see with the J6.  It can be based on a need for relief from undue suffering as punishment for a crime, as we see with the J6.  It can also be based on the genuine innocence of a pardonee, when our justice system gets it wrong, wrongly convicting and sentencing innocent people.  Again, as we see with the J6.  

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The J6ers deserve justice, but if they cannot get it through the courts, they MUST get it from the President through a Pardon of Innocence or a Pardon of Mercy.

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Pardon of Innocence

As we saw with President Trump's pardon of Gen. Flynn, the President can use his pardon powers to not only grant clemency for a conviction or charge, but also to assert the innocence of someone wrongfully accused and convicted.  The language in a Pardon of Innocence clearly lays out the reason for the President to assert the innocence of the pardonee, and it becomes a matter of historical record.  In addition to the restoration of freedom and liberties, the pardon of innocence is an official government statement declaring one's innocence for all time.

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Learn more about the Pardon of Innocence by reading "#J6PardonOfInnocence - An Introduction" by Tamara Leigh.

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Pardon of Mercy

Most pardons are actually pardons of mercy, granted to individuals who have suffered too much for whatever crime they are being pardoned for.  A Pardon of Mercy does not declare one innocent, but it may offer a justification for the crime, or a rebuke of unduly harsh punishment.  While it grants the same legal rights as a full and unconditional pardon given as a pardon of innocence, it does not remove guilt for the offense.  Rather a pardon of mercy says that a pardonee is in fact guilty, but they do not deserve to be punished for this crime for reasons enumerated  in the pardon.

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Both forms of pardon can be unconditional or have conditional stipulations that the pardonee must live up to, such as avoid future criminal activity or live as an upstanding citizen.  

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Pardons can be granted to individuals by the President, but they can also be granted to groups of people.  An example is the pardon that President Carter granted to draft dodgers from the Vietnam War.  This kind of group pardon is called a Proclamation Pardon, and is granted to any individual who meets the criteria stipulated by the President in the Pardon Proclamation.

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All pardons are processed through the US Pardon Attorney's office, which is a sub agency under the Attorney General's office.  This agency both processes and issues documentation to pardonees for pardons granted from the President, and processes requests for presidential clemency from convicts.

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A Presidential pardon can restore all federal rights of a convicted person who has received a pardon but each state may have their own unique laws that impact a pardonee even after receiving the pardon.  A governor must issue any pardon for state crimes or any forgiveness from state laws governing ex-convicts.

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The facts about pardons, the process to receive a pardon, and what a pardon can do for our J6ers is the subject of the J6 Pardon Project.  We continue updating this site with additional information as we complete the guide for Trump, "How to Pardon the J6ers, A Comprehensive Guide for President Donald J. Trump". Our goal is to continue to educate and inform our community of the necessity of these pardons for the J6 and the ongoing support they will need.

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