How Can Anyone Defend Presidential Pardons?

[KittyWampus]

how can the few individual cases of merit weigh against the horrible damage done to the millions of Americans and people worldwide who will suffer because of the likes of Libby and Rove, who have no reason to end up cooperating with investigators?

Threat and fear of jail time has been totally eliminated from our justice system when it comes to anyone commiting crimes who are connected with a president.

I contend that the few individual cases simply don't make it worthwhile to handicap our Justice system when it comes to the Executive branch.

[phantom power]

1. I don't like them either. They seem to violate our judicial principles.

It places presidents and governors above the law.

[bryant69]

2. so you are opposed to checks and balances?

I personally think that they are a safeguard against excessive judicial power.

Obviously they get misused from time to time.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[John Q. Citizen]

5. That's ridiculous. It's not a check or a balance, it is a prerogative. Where has it ever

been used as a safeguard against excessive judicial power?

[ashling]

11. Just because something is misused

does not mean that there is not a good use for it. I agree however, that the majority of pardons are for the wrong reasons.

[bryant69]

12. If the judiciary makes a mistake and refuses to admit it

The president or governor can step in and commute the section.

Do you think that all presidential/governor pardons have been unmerited?

Bryant

[John Q. Citizen]

14. I don't know if any are merited or not. But I didn't claim the power to pardon or commute

was a check and/or a balance either.

You made that claim.

Yet you still haven't provided any documentation that it's ever been used that way. It may have been, but how many times, as opposed to, a political reason?

[bryant69]

15. Any time an innocent person is let go after having been convicted by

the judicial system that could be seen as a check on the Judicial system.

Bryant

[John Q. Citizen]

16. So when has that happened due to a pardon or communtation?

[murloc]

3. Its a safety valve

Just because we have one idiot in charge of the valve for 8 of 231 years doesnt indicate that we need to revamp it all.

[KittyWampus]

8. you forget Bush Sr.

[shance]

4. Easily. When they are used correctly. To pardon those unjustly accused.

Leonard Peltier comes to mind.

Clinton pardoned 140 individuals including very rich Mark Rich, and left Leonard Peltier unjustly accused and unfairly tried to remain in jail. He has been in jail for 31 years now.

[blm]

7. Marc Rich wasn't pardoned because he was rich. He was a named figure in IranContra

and BCCI. He was pardoned to protect Poppy Bush and his covert and illegal operations.

Scooter Libby has long been the legal pointman charged with protectng BFEE assets like Marc Rich. And Dick Cheney.

[KittyWampus]

9. again, sometimes the individual good is trumped by greater good.

[flyingfysh]

it was justified in the Patty Hearst case

This was a case where a victim was kidnapped, held for a long time, coerced into helping with bank robberies, and found guilty of bank robbery. Carter was fully justified in issueing a pardon.

[flyingfysh]

6. it was justified in the Patty Hearst case

This was a case where a victim was kidnapped, held for a long time, coerced into helping with bank robberies, and found guilty of bank robbery. Carter was fully justified in issueing a pardon.

[BlooInBloo]

10. They're a check on the judiciary. Like any power, of course, it can be abused...

.... But that's a problem with the nature of *power*, not a problem specifically with the Presidental Pardon.

Any government design will be implemented by people folks. There's no way to design around that fact.

[TahitiNut]

13. In principle, I agree with the bias towards freeing folks instead of persecution.

Clearly, it'd be far worse to authorize a President to condemn people unilaterally.

Oh. Wait. We're letting this one do exactly that!!

:puke: