The White House announced early Thursday that President Joe Biden would reduce the sentences of over 1,500 criminals and pardon 39 others, marking the largest number of clemencies and commutations ever issued in a single day.
In a statement, Biden explained what might turn out to be a pivotal moment in his final days as president: America was founded on the promise of opportunity and second chances.
Biden went on. In my capacity as president, I have the immense honor of showing mercy to those who have shown repentance and rehabilitation, giving Americans the chance to resume their regular lives and give back to their communities, and working to eliminate sentencing inequities for non-violent offenders, particularly those convicted of drug offenses.
Biden’s announcement that he had pardoned his son Hunter, who was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday for a conviction on federal firearms charges, followed by this action nearly two weeks ago. Additionally, he had entered a guilty plea to a different federal tax evasion case. Biden had previously denied using his administrative authority to pardon his son.
According to the White House, all 1,500 offenders are non-violent and have been under home confinement for a minimum of a year under the CARES Act, which was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have also demonstrated successful rehabilitation and a strong commitment to improving community safety.
“If they were tried under today’s laws, policies, and practices, many of these defendants would receive lower sentences,” Biden stated.
They were all found guilty of “non-violent crimes”—the 39 people who were pardoned. They include an addiction counselor who works with youth, a nurse who coordinates responses to natural disasters, and a distinguished military veteran who helps at a nearby church.
One of President Barack Obama’s last actions before he left office in 2017 was to commute the sentences of 330 convicts, which was the largest batch of commutations in history.
According to the White House, Biden is the first president to grant “categorical pardons” to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted due to their sexual orientation as well as to those convicted of marijuana use and possession.
“The President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms,” the statement from the White House stated.
There might be other developments: In closing, Biden pledged that his administration would “continue reviewing clemency petitions” and that he would “take more steps in the weeks ahead.”
Two people involved with the talks told NBC News that Biden and his staff have talked about the possibility of granting preemptive pardons to those that President-elect Donald Trump has disparaged in recent years as he has alluded to preparations for retaliation.
When Trump is sworn in on January 20, 2025, Biden steps down.
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