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Historical evidence that it is NOT too early to start demanding clemencies from President Obama

By Douglas Berman

Over at the Pardon Power, P.S. Ruckman has two amazing posts here and here detailing for all the Presidents “the number of days between inauguration or the assumption of office (via death or resignation) and their very first pardon as President of the United States.”  The data show that President Obama is already on the verge of being behind the historical curve: roughly half of all Presidents granted their first pardons within their first two weeks in office! 

Of course, 100 days is a widely-used marker for the Presidential honeymoon, and the data show that all but eight Presidents granted clemency within the first 100 days.  Disappointingly, even as the federal criminal justice system has grown enormously over the last two decade, three presidents who have been among the slowest in using this power of mercy were President Clinton and both Presidents Bush.  So much for feeling others pain or 1000 points of light or compassionate conservatism from the recent residents on the Oval Office.

As I have suggested before and will say again and again, I will only be a true believer in “hope” and “change” if and when President Obama changes the ugly realities that now surround clemency by starting to use the power to remedy true federal criminal injustices as the Framers intended.

Some recent related posts: