Obama utilizes his power to grant pardons

President Obama announced a list of pardons on Monday. It is the third such list he has created during his administration. The President will pardon five convicts. Obama also decided to commute the sentence of one. The presidential right to give pardons has drawn debate on many occasions. Read the article here: http://www.newsytype. com/13660-obama-grants- pardons/

Who was let free?

A nine year sentence was given to Martin Kaprelian of Park Ridge, Ill. He was charged with conspiracy to transport stolen property.

Due to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cannabis, Lesley Claywood Berry Jr. of Loretto, Ky., got a three year sentence.

In Wesley Chapel, Fla., Dennis George Bulin got a $20,000 fine and five years of probation. This was because he had 1,000 pounds of marijuana he was caught with.

Ricky Dale Collett of Annville, Ky., landed a year of probation for aiding and abetting in the growing of 61 marijuana plants.

Because he was running an illegal gambling business, Thomas Paul Ledford of Jonesborough, Tenn., was given one year of probation.

Reason for this

The first pardon Obama made was for Eugenia Marie Jennings from Alton, Ill. He cut her sentence short. She was charged in 2001 and sentenced to 22 years in prison for distributing cocaine. Next month she will be unveiled. She could end up with eight years of being supervised afterwards though.

Any president can do it

If the president pardons somebody, nobody has the ability to undo that. A judge isn't being corrected with a presidential pardon. They also aren't to correct a wrong. This is done symbolically to help people out. It is for people who have atoned for what they did wrong. Governors and Presidents have been offering pardons to convicts at the end of their terms typically.

Troubles come from pardons

These pardons typically do not get any public interest. They're generally ignored. People usually notice if there is some inappropriate motivation behind it. This can contain political motivation.

After the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon was impeached. He was then pardoned by President Gerald Ford in 1974, which was very controversial. George Steinbrenner was pardoned in 1989 by Reagan. This got a lot of criticism also. Steinbrenner put contributions into Richard Nixon's campaign illegally. Bill Clinton likewise came under fire for pardoning Marc Rich in 2001. Wealthy was charged of cheating the government out of millions. Rich's wife donated a lot of cash to Clinton's Presidential Library and to the Democratic Party.

Sources

Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes. com/2011/jan/10/local/la- me-pardon-power-20110111

Info Please: http://www.infoplease. com/us/government/presidential- pardons.html

Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost. com/2011/11/21/obama- pardons-commutation_n_1106812. html?ref=politics&icid=maing- grid7|maing9|dl6|sec1_lnk3|114694

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