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Bush Issues 14 Pardons

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Sep 28, 2005 at 05:19:11 PM EST
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The timing is somewhat suspect, but hey, it's the thought that counts. President Bush issued 14 pardons today, including four to drug offenders:

  • Adam Wade Graham, Salt Lake City, Utah
    Offense: Conspiracy to deliver 10 or more grams of LSD; 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A)(v), and 846.
    Sentence: Nov. 23, 1992; District of Wyoming; 30 months imprisonment, later reduced to 11 months and 21 days of imprisonment, and five years supervised release conditioned upon performance of 250 hours community service.
  • Larry Paul Lenius, Moorhead, Minn.
    Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine; 21 U.S.C. 846.
    Sentence: Sept. 29, 1989, District of North Dakota; 36 months probation conditioned upon three months service in community confinement and payment of $2,500 in restitution.

  • Larry Lee Lopez, Bokeelia, Fla. Offense: Conspiracy to import marijuana; 21 U.S.C. 952 and 953.
    Sentence: July 19, 1985; Middle District of Florida; three years probation.
  • Mark Lewis Weber, Sherwood, Ark. Offense: Selling Quaalude tablets (one specification), selling, using, and possessing marijuana (three specifications), U.C.M.J., Articles 92 and 134.
    Sentence: Aug. 20, 1981; United States Air Force general court-martial convened at Little Rock Air Force Base, Little Rock, Arkansas; 30 months confinement at hard labor, forfeiture of $334 pay per month for 30 months, reduction to the rank of airman basic, and a dishonorable discharge.

Greg at the Talent Show asks,

Are they all well-connected Republican donors or is George just paying them back for letting him crash on the couch?

[Via Think Progress.]

< Contradicting Tom DeLay | Army Interrogator Sentenced >

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    • Bush Issues 14 Pardons | 10 comments (10 topical)
    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:26 PM EST
    Has Bush ever pardoned anyone who hadn't already served their entire sentence? Every pardon I've seen from him so far has been to allow someone to avoid some collateral effect of a felony conviction, typically the right to own a gun again. There certainly doesn't seem to be a lot of rhyme or reason to it. The purpose of a pardon is usually, in part, to make a symbolic statement. If you are going to make a symbolic statement, you ought to say why you acted as you did.

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:26 PM EST
    Answered my own question. Through 2004, just 29 pardons including just two sentence commutations. This round probably brings it to 43 pardons and still just 2 sentence commutations in 5 years. Of the hundreds of thousands of people in federal prisons, only two deserve mercy? No court system is that good.

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#3)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:27 PM EST
    Looks like the RNC musta got good infusion of some dope money...

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:27 PM EST
    Ten bucks on these guys finding god in prison.

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:27 PM EST
    Gotta clear away the dead wood -- there's a whole bunch of felon Bush-backers who need those slots. Tom DeLay? Damn, that's 43 pardons right there. 'Dealie, you've done a hell of a job -- hell, your crimes are nothing compared to mine. Chump change. Here's a medal of freedom for you. Go and sin no more. Heh-heh. Jesus said that. I'm Jesus.'

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:27 PM EST
    ten bucks to anyone who will again post a commment containing the resource of sense

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:27 PM EST
    As always, I must state that putting people in cages over possesion/sale of drugs alone is assinine and tyrannical. Now there are 4 less people suffering that injustice. At first glance, Bush did something right! Alert the media! But the cynic in me says the pardonees have connections. Different rules for different fools, but what else is new.

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:29 PM EST
    14 pardons? Is he practicing his skill at it, so that he won't be "DeLay'd" somewhere down the road making future pardons?

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:31 PM EST
    Those four people weren't exactly suffering. They'd already done their time.

    Re: Bush Issues 14 Pardons (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:31 PM EST
    Posted by hannityiscrazy: "ten bucks to anyone who will again post a commment containing the resource of sense." These trolls apparently can't help but fixate on Clinton's penis.

    Bush Issues 14 Pardons | 10 comments (10 topical)