I. Introduction Much of U.S. governance is held together by goodwill, unwritten norms, and the ideals that “that would never happen” and “no one would ever do that.” Every hope of continued reliance on these norms was “shattered” on January 6, 2021, when armed insurrectionists invaded the U.S. Capitol. Under the direction of the President, [...]
Search Results for: presidential pardon
South Korea Supreme Court upholds 20-year prison sentence for impeached former president
The Supreme Court of South Korea on Thursday upheld a 20-year prison sentence for former President Park Guen-hye who was convicted on charges of abuse of power, bribery and coercion in 2018. The rejection of Park’s appeal exhausts all legal remedies, leaving open only the option of a special presidential pardon by incumbent President Moon [...]
“There exists a deep-seated conviction among Americans that the Constitution is an expression of the Higher Law, that it is, in fact, imperfect man’s most perfect rendering of eternal law.” – Presidential scholar Clinton Rossiter Introduction: Following recent Trump-inspired attacks on the United States Capitol, a second impeachment of the President is now under active [...]
The “Final Days” of a failed, corrupt, and criminal presidency…for the second time in two generations (I recall as a child hearing the drumbeat of “Watergate” in the news), that is the legacy of America’s Republican Party. As President-elect Biden and so many others keep saying (perhaps out of desperate hope), “this is not who [...]
“States shall not take….any measures which may be prejudicial to the international obligations they have assumed in regard to the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.” – Principles of International Cooperation, General Assembly Resolution, 1973 “It’s not surprising that a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals, [...]
DR Congo president pardons 26 men convicted for the assassination of Laurent Kabila
The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday pardoned 26 men who had been convicted of plotting the 2001 assassination of then-President Laurent Kabila. Former President Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards who took his own life shortly after. Prosecutors in the case stated that Kabila’s closest advisor, Colonel Eddy [...]
Four imprisoned Burundi journalists convicted on 'terrorism' charges granted presidential pardon
President of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye Thursday pardoned four journalists who were imprisoned for “attempting to undermine state security.” The Head of the Information and Communications Division for the Office of the President, Willy Nyamitwe, tweeted Thursday that Ndayishimiye “has favorably responded” to a letter from journalists Agnès Ndirubusa, Christine Kamikazi, Egide Harerimana, and Térence Mpozenzi requesting a [...]
Presidential Crimes and Pardons: Donald J. Trump and America's "Higher Law"
“The safety of the people shall be the highest law.” – Cicero, On the Laws Abstract: From the beginning of his sordid presidency, Donald J. Trump has shown willful indifference to the security and justice of the United States, including unwillingness to find relevant fault with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, to separate himself from baseless conspiracy [...]
Federal judge dismisses case against Michael Flynn following pardon
US District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Tuesday dismissed the criminal case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Sullivan Court was considering a Rule 48 dismissal, which was rendered moot by the presidential pardon conferred upon Flynn by Present Donald Trump. In his 43-page opinion, Sullivan made clear that although he was required by law [...]
DOJ investigating potential presidential pardon bribery scheme
A redacted memorandum opinion from the US District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed Monday revealed that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating a potential bribery scheme for a presidential pardon. On November 25, the government submitted a status report asking that the record remain unsealed. After the court directed the government [...]