ABC reports Biden considering broad pardons for targets

Legally, how does a pardon when there has been no conviction work?

 

I guess we'll find out if Biden's blanket preemptive pardon of Hunter (not the pardons for crimes of which Hunter was already convicted) is challenged and/or he issues other preemptive pardons and the Trump DOJ decides to charge the pardoned individuals anyway. Although President Ford issued a preemptive pardon of Nixon in 1974 the impact of Ford's decision was never tested because Nixon was never prosecuted.

 

Good question. I would think there has to first be a conviction. What Biden is apparently proposing is immunity, which I don't think he can do. I agree with City, though: I think it's Trump's typical bluster and bad precedent.

 

The best way to describe what Ford did in 1974 and what Biden did a few days ago would be functional immunity from prosecution under the guise of preemptive pardons. Not really sure that Trump would want to challenge the practice since members of own administration could be on the other side when he leaves office in January 2029 although he probably wouldn't have worry himself thanks to his personal SCOTUS which issued a decision with the effect of cloaking him with near absolute immunity for anything that he does while in office.

 

I agree terrible precedent. But given the circumstances perhaps not unreasonable.

 

I believe it prevents any prosecution from commencing or proceeding. Trump and his threats brought this on. "Offenses against the United States" is the key language. There is no requirement of a conviction or even that a criminal prosecution has been commenced.

 

Ford’s pardon of Nixon was not predicated on a conviction and used vague language about any crimes he may have committed, if I recall correctly.

 

The slippery slope continues. This will become standard practice for every future departing administration.

 

Does he need to actually pardon them, or does he just need to think about pardoning them? Asking for a friend.

 

The grotesquery of the Trump Era.

We should ask Kash Patel.

 

No conviction? Hell, there haven't even been any charges.

 

It's good to see Republicans concerned about charges again.

Hey, remember when Donald Trump was charged with over 90 felonies?

 

The easiest way to get an answer is to pretend that it is Trump looking to pardon people and think about what Rick would say to justify such action

 

How about a rolling pardon that covers the person of interest up to the present in perpetuity? That's what I want.

 

Might be time for the Pubs to go to work for real on Biden's fitness for office.

 

"FAKE NEWS!" ?

 

They are an unserious contingent