Biden pardons 39 ex-convicts, adjust 1500 other sentences

The United States President, Joe Biden has granted presidential pardons to 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes and adjusted the sentences of nearly 1,500 others.

This came barely two weeks after Biden issued a controversial pardon to his son Hunter, sparing him from federal charges related to arms and tax offenses while claiming the case was politically motivated.

Announcing the move, which the White House described as the “most acts of presidential clemency issued in a single day” yesterday, the president said that the recipients mostly drug users, had “shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer,”. 

The adjusted sentences were for hundreds of people who were placed in home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic, and who were facing sentences that Biden deemed to be too long.
” They have “shown that they deserve a second chance”, he added.

Giving further details of the move, the White House said those receiving relief included a decorated military veteran and pilot who helped fellow church members, a nurse who helped with the Covid vaccine rollout, and an addiction counselor.

The US Constitution decrees that a president has the broad “power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment”.

President Biden, who will leave office on January 20, 2025, had a notably low number of pardons during his presidency compared to most modern U.S. presidents. 

This was particularly evident as he issued far fewer pardons than his predecessors, such as Donald Trump, who granted a significant 237 pardons during his term.

Biden’s approach to pardons has been more conservative, focusing primarily on specific individuals, often linked to his administration’s broader criminal justice reform goals.