List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States

The president can issue a full pardon, reversing a criminal conviction as if it never happened. Approximately 20,000 pardons and commutations were issued by U.S. presidents in the 20th century alone. Whig president William Henry Harrison was one of only two presidents who issued no pardons, the other being James Garfield.

About List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States in brief

The plenary power to grant a pardon or a reprieve is granted to the president of the United States by Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution. The president can issue a full pardon, reversing a criminal conviction as if it never happened. A pardon can be issued from the time an offense is committed, and can even be issued after the full sentence has been served. Approximately 20,000 pardons and commutations were issued by U.S. presidents in the 20th century alone. Pardons granted by presidents from George Washington until Grover Cleveland’s first term were handwritten by the president; thereafter, pardons were prepared for the president by administrative staff requiring only that the president sign it. The records of these presidential acts were openly available for public inspection until 1934.

In 1981 the Office of the Pardon Attorney was created and records from President George H. W. Bush forward are now listed. Among them are: Federalist president John Adams pardoned, commuted or rescinded the convictions of 20 people. Whig president William Henry Harrison was one of only two presidents who issued no pardons, the other being James Garfield. Republican president Arthur Chester A. Hayes pardoned the 893 non-consecutive people during his two-secutive terms as governor of New York. Democratic president Andrew Johnson pardoned about 7,000 people in the \”over $20,000\” class by May 4, 1866. More than 600 prominent North Carolinians were pardoned just before the election of 1864.