questions

[bluestarone]

Can RUMP double pardon? I mean if Cohen takes the fifth, then what? he gets indicted? Goes before grand jury? If the grand jury sends him to prison for not answering questions, can RUMP pardon him? I'm sure Rump can't pardon state charges but what could the outcome be here? TY in advance

[unblock]

1. in theory, a president could pardon the same person every day of his term.

pardons can't cover crimes that haven't occurred yet, but each new pardon could shield a new day's crimes from prosecution.

one would hope there would be a high political cost to this, but with our media, who knows.

[bluestarone]

2. I'm sure your right here BUT

This can't be what our forefathers were thinking??

[jberryhill]

3. There was no particular "thinking" involved

The pardon power was, at the time, one of the inherent legal powers of the sovereign in English law. Lacking any other suggestion, it was assigned to the president in Article II.

[bluestarone]

6. well i'm thankful they never discussed state pardons (because at that time

There were no STATES!) That in it self tells me they COULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT of ALL the problems this country would face! (i'm kind of thinking of there RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS law here)

[unblock]

5. they intended the pardon power to be used wisely, and they intended impeachment

to prevent abuse of such powers. separation of powers. pit institutions against each other.

they didn't foresee that there might some day be an institution (the republican party and their billionaire benefactors) with enough control and power that they could effectively have congress refuse to hold the president accountable.


then again, they never really thought the form of government they created would last anywhere near as long as it has....

[RockRaven]

4. Not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV

but I believe that if a person is jailed for contempt, POTUS can pardon them for that contempt episode, but the grand jury will just call them back and if they behave the same way then it is a new contempt charge and the cycle repeats. But there is, or ought to be anyway, a political cost to POTUS every pardon cycle as it is nakedly corrupt in this case.

[left-of-center2012]

7. "If the grand jury sends him to prison"

Can a 'grand jury' send him to prison?

I served on a county grand jury for three months around 1990.
All we did was hand down (or not) indictments,
and then it was up to the D.A. and courts to take it from there.