The Untested Self-Pardon
Plus: Hunter's guns, AI replacing dating, East German cars, and more...
Pardons
Rescheduling Marijuana Does Not Address Today's Central Cannabis Issue
Moving marijuana to Schedule III, as the DEA plans to do, leaves federal pot prohibition essentially untouched.
Biden's Inaccurate and Inadequate Lip Service to Marijuana Reform Ignores Today's Central Cannabis Issue
The president has not expunged marijuana records or decriminalized possession, which in any case would fall far short of the legalization that voters want.
The Best of Reason: Commander in Chains: 7 Scenarios If Trump Is Jailed and Wins the Election
There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents an inmate from winning the presidency.
Rudy Carey Was Pardoned, but the Unjust Law That Kept Him From Working Is Still on the Books
Virginia’s barrier crime law limits employment prospects for ex-offenders, who often find their way back into the penal system when they can’t find work.
Commander in Chains: 7 Scenarios If Trump Is Jailed and Wins the Election
There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents an inmate from winning the presidency.
What If Trump is Convicted?
My new article in the print issue of Reason on how things could get weird
Biden Is Trying To Motivate Voters Who Oppose Pot Prohibition. Maybe He Should Stop Supporting It.
The supposedly reformed drug warrior's intransigence on the issue complicates his appeal to young voters, who overwhelmingly favor legalization.
Tennessee Says Residents Can't Vote If They Have Lost Their Gun Rights
People who were disenfranchised based on felony convictions face a new obstacle to recovering their voting rights.
Biden Expands Pardons for Marijuana Possession
It's a commendable, but very modest, expansion of a step he took last year.
Biden Expands Pardons for Low-Level Federal Marijuana Offenders
The pardons freed no prisoners, but the White House says they will ease the burden of a criminal record.
A Post-Clemency Prosecution Shines a Light on a Broken System
Donald Trump commuted Philip Esformes' sentence, but the Justice Department is bent on sending him back to prison.
Greg Abbott's Pardon Promise Ignores the Shakiness of Daniel Perry's Self-Defense Claim
A Texas jury unanimously rejected Perry’s assertion that Garrett Foster pointed a rifle at him.
Four Months After Biden Promised Marijuana Pardons, He Has Not Issued Any
The president reaped political benefits with his pre-election proclamation but has yet to follow through.
Oregon Governor Pardons 45,000 Marijuana Offenders
The ACLU of Oregon is calling on other state governors to follow suit.
Kentucky Governor's Order Protects Medical Marijuana Users From Prosecution for Possession
To be eligible for a pardon, patients will have to obtain cannabis from other states and document their diagnoses and purchases.
Outside the White House, Protesters Urge Biden To Release Nonviolent Marijuana Offenders
While Biden's mass pardons for those with low-level marijuana possession convictions were greeted with cautious optimism, protesters expressed frustration over Biden's lack of action to actually release those imprisoned for nonviolent drug crimes.
Biden's Marijuana Pardons Did Not Free a Single Federal Prisoner or Deliver the Expungement He Promised
A protest at the White House calls attention to the thousands of federal cannabis offenders who remain incarcerated.
Biden's Marijuana Pardons Could Benefit Some 10,000 People With Misdemeanor Records
That seemingly large number represents a tiny share of simple possession cases, which are rarely prosecuted under federal law.
Biden's Support for Pot Prohibition Belies His Recognition of the Harm It Causes
Even as he pardons thousands of marijuana users, the president stubbornly resists legalization.
Drugs, Debt, and Masculinity
Plus: The editors wade into the conversation surrounding the modern dilemmas men face.
Biden Says He's Pardoning 'All' Federal Weed Possession Offenders. He Isn't.
If you aren't a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, you're out of luck.
Better Late Than Never on Weed, Kamala
Plus: A judge may recognize a poly romance, the Nobel Prize goes to economists "for research on banks and financial crises," and more...
Tom Cotton Says Biden's Marijuana Pardon Recipients Pleaded Down From More Serious Charges
In fact, most were caught on federal property with small amounts of pot.
What Biden's Weed Plan Really Means
Plus: lawsuit targets Roblox and Discord, 24 million immigration cases in backlog, and more...
Biden's Marijuana Reforms Are Long Overdue but Will Have Just a Modest Impact
The president's mass pardon does not extend to pot suppliers, and his rescheduling plans won't make marijuana a legal medicine.
The U.S. Imprisoned a Civil Rights Leader on Bogus Charges in 1917. Will Biden Pardon Her Now?
A new petition seeks a posthumous pardon for Callie House.
Biden Begins Using Clemency To Ameliorate the Damage Done by the Draconian Drug Policies He Long Supported
The 75 commutations announced today, while impressive compared to the pitiful records of previous presidents, pale beside a huge backlog of petitions.
Colorado Gov. Polis Commutes 110-Year Sentence for Trucker in Deadly Crash, Pardons Hundreds of Marijuana Convictions
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos faced harsh punishment under the state’s mandatory minimum sentences for insisting on the right to a trial.
Would an Independent Commission Solve the Clemency Backlog?
A new bill would transfer the review of petitions from the Justice Department to a presidentially appointed board.
Thousands Beg President Joe Biden for Mercy as He Pardons a Couple of Turkeys
The annual photo op takes on cruel undertones as drug offenders continue to suffer under harsh federal prison sentences.
A Pending Pardon for George Floyd Shows How the Drug War Gives Cops a License To Lie
Floyd was arrested for selling crack by a crooked Houston narcotics cop who repeatedly lied to implicate people in drug crimes.
743 Years and 3 Months. 117 Years. 51 Years. Why Are These Men's Sentences So Long?
For possessing a gun while committing a crime—even when no one is killed—too many defendants are slammed with sentences decades or even centuries longer than justice demands.
Presidential Mercy Is a Woefully Inadequate Remedy for Injustice
The controversy over Trump’s pardons and commutations highlights longstanding problems with clemency.
Lil Wayne, Steve Bannon, and Some Drug War Victims Pardoned, but No Assange, Snowden, or Ulbricht
Plus: Pelosi wants 9/11-style commission to investigate Capitol attack, MyPillow drama, and more...
Freeing People Who Don't Belong in Prison Is Praiseworthy, No Matter Trump's Motives
The president's final batch of clemency actions includes commutations for dozens of nonviolent drug offenders.
Can President Trump Pardon Himself?
The Constitution's words, history, and structure suggest the best answer is no. He can't plead, "I beg my pardon."
Trump's Pattern of Self-Serving Pardons Continues
President Trump's use of the pardon power confirms Anti-Federalist fears more than did his predecessors'.
Trump Pardons 26 More, Including Paul Manafort and Roger Stone
The list also included several drug war victims.
Trump's Latest Round of Pardons Includes George Papadopoulos, GOP Congressmen, Blackwater Guards
Full pardons were given to the four contractors convicted of murdering Iraqis in a firefight in Baghdad.
The Prosecution of Julian Assange Is an Assault on the First Amendment
Though journalists tend to despise the WikiLeaks founder, his fate could impact the future of their profession.
Former Judge Michael Luttig on Why the Pardon Power Does Not Encompass Self-Pardons
A pardon is something granted, like a gift, and it is presumed one cannot grant something to themselves.
Another problem with self-pardons
A "self-pardon" might bring about exactly the prosecution it seeks to avoid.
The Pardon Power May Be Broad, But that Does Not Mean a Self-Pardon Would Be Legit
President Trump pardoned a turkey and an agent of Turkey. Will he give himself a lame duck pardon next?
Will Anybody Besides Michael Flynn Get Mercy from Lame Duck Trump?
The president has the worst record for clemency in modern history.
Presidential Pardons Offer Trump a Way to Go Out on a Positive Note
If Trump isn’t interested, maybe the Biden administration could get started with a few acts of mercy.
Snowden Announces Plans To Become Russian Citizen
The surveillance whistleblower has a child on the way and little sign a pardon is forthcoming.
Trump Grants Clemency to 5 More Federal Prisoners
All five cases were recommended to the White House by commutation recipient Alice Marie Johnson.
