Biden faces additional calls to grant reprieves to death row inmates and victims of reprisal from Donald Trump
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President Biden announced on Thursday he was granting 39 pardons to people with non-violent criminal convictions and commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500, the largest single-day act of clemency in modern presidential history, according to the White House.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”
Those who are pardoned will see their convictions removed from their records, while those getting their sentences commuted — in this case, prisoners who were moved to home confinement during the pandemic — will see their remaining sentences reduced or ended.
The pardon list includes Americans from all around the country with a variety of stories.
Stevoni Wells Doyle , 47, of Santaquin, Utah, pleaded guilty to non-violent offenses at age 24. After her conviction, she got a master’s degree and now works as a substance use disorder counselor and volunteers in her local community.
Edwin Allen Jones, 60, of Paducah, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to non-violent drug offenses after serving the U.S. Army. After finishing his sentence, Jones went on to have a legal career, participate in local government, and volunteer in addiction recovery groups.
Gary Michael Robinson, 70, of Redmond, Oregon, pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense and has since worked in firefighting and habitat preservation.
A full list of the pardons can be found below.
Biden’s pardons mark the latest chapter in the complicated criminal justice legacy of a politican many blame for driving up mass incarceration in the first place, thanks to his support for the 1994 crime bill. He has previously pardoned people convicted of federal marijuana offences.
Today’s pardons are likely to be met with much less controversy than his decision earlier this month to pardon his son Hunter Biden ahead of his sentencing on federal gun and tax charges, despite the president’s previous claim he wouldn’t take that step.
The Biden administration is also reportedly mulling preemptive pardons for figures like former congresswoman Liz Cheney and former White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci. Observers fear they could be targets of reprisal from the incoming Trump administration, which has suggested it will seek revenge and retribution against perceived enemies.
Advocates have called on Biden to commute the sentences of the 40 people on death row to life in prison. Biden made history and became the first U.S. president to openly oppose the death penalty, pausing federal executions, but he hasn’t taken further steps to eliminate the practice.
The Trump administration has vowed to restart executions, after carrying out an unprecedented level of federal executions during Trump’s previous term in office.
The following individuals received pardons from Joe Biden, according to the White House:
NINA SIMONA ALLEN – Harvest, Alabama
KELSIE LYNN BECKLIN – Falcon Heights, Minnesota
DURAN ARTHUR BROWN – Cleveland, Ohio
NORMAN O’NEAL BROWN – Washington, DC
ARTHUR LAWRENCE BYRD – Clinton, Maryland
SARAH JEAN CARLSON – Coon Rapids, Minnesota
BRANDON SERGIO CASTROFLAY – Alexandria, Virginia
ROSETTA JEAN DAVIS – Colville, Washington
STEVONI WELLS DOYLE – Santaquin, Utah
GREGORY S. EKMAN – Fountain Valley, California
SHANNAN RAE FAULKNER – Muldrow, Oklahoma
TRYNITHA FULTON – New Orleans, Louisiana
PAUL JOHN GARCIA – Las Vegas, New Mexico
KIM DOUGLAS HAMAN – Lima, Ohio
SHERRANDA JANELL HARRIS – Norwalk, Connecticut
TERENCE ANTHONY JACKSON – Seattle, Washington
EDWIN ALLEN JONES – Paducah, Kentucky
JAMAL LEE KING – North Ridgeville, Ohio
JERRY DONALD MANNING – Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
HONI LORI MOORE – Rock Springs, Wyoming
EMILY GOOD NELSON – Indianapolis, Indiana
DENITA NICOLE PARKER – Gaffney, South Carolina
MICHAEL GARY PELLETIER – Augusta, Maine
RUSSELL THOMAS PORTNER – Toutle, Washington
NATHANIEL DAVID REED III – San Antonio, Texas
GARY MICHAEL ROBINSON – Redmond, Oregon
JOSE ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ – Coral Springs, Florida
PATRICE CHANTE SELLERS – Bear, Delaware
AUDREY DIANE SIMONE (AUDREY CLARK) – Prescott, Wisconsin
JAMES RUSSELL STIDD – Groveport, Ohio
DIANA BAZAN VILLANUEVA – La Grange, Illinois
LASHAWN MARRVINIA WALKER – Minneapolis, Minnesota
MIREYA AIMEE WALMSLEY – La Porte, Texas
KIMBERLY JO WARNER – Portville, New York
JOHNNIE EARL WILLIAMS – Denver, Colorado
SHAWNTE DOROTHEA WILLIAMS – Columbia, South Carolina
LASHUNDRA TENNEAL WILSON – Arlington, Texas
