Is it a tradition for an outgoing President to pardon a prisoner?

  • Thread starter Thread starter michael w
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Here is an example of a pardon-
President Bush finally did something good, he pardoned two Border Patrol agents who had been railroaded and sent to prison.

http://www.americaiswatching.org/BorderAgents.html

Those guys should have never been arrested in the first place.
 
The President can pardon or he can offer clemency or he can commute a sentence. He can do this as often as he wants and at any time during his Presidency.
President Bush has pardoned, offered clemency or offered to commute the sentences of, I believe, 174 people. Former President Clinton did the same with almost 500 people.
 
Not sure if it is a tradition but there is precedent.

President Saddam opened the jails and let 'em all go in the closing days of his Presidency.
 
Yep and boy does it get abused.He had 171 pardoned last time I checked.Clinton had heaps.
 
Only if there is a prisoner that should be pardoned for acts that he did not commit or that were not too severe. He can pardon as many as he want. Clinton, Bush Senior, and Reagan all pardoned many people before they left office.
 
In the United States, the pardon power for Federal crimes is granted to the President by the United States Constitution, Article II, Section 2, which states that the President:

shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.
 
Yes. He can pardon as many as he wants. He can pardon every single prisoner in an American prison if he wants to. Probably he will only pardon people who have paid him off, or people of the same ideology who got caught doing misdeeds.
 
Yes , and every President in the last 65 Years has Pardoned someone if not many people. This isn't a "Bush" thing Michael.
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They all do it Bush pardoned the least amount.Can you imagine what Obama will do when he empties all the prisons of all the brothers in 4 years?
 
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