Biden commutes 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people, a single-day record
FILE-President Joe Biden speaks to the media following the Supreme Court's ruling on charges against former President Donald Trump that he sought to subvert the 2020 election, at the White House on July 1, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Ha
President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and is pardoning 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes.
According to the Associated Press, the commutations announced Thursday are for individuals who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released.
Some of the individuals pardoned include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters; a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor; a doctoral student in molecular biosciences; and a decorated military veteran.
Biden’s actions mark the biggest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The second largest single-day act of clemency was by then President Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017.
The AP reported that Biden previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. The commander-in-chief has also pardoned those convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia and pardoned former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex.
Additional pardons are expected before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, but it's unclear if he will take action to guard against potential prosecution by President-elect Donald Trump.
Biden’s clemency move follows a broad pardon for his son Hunter, who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon more people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January.
The AP noted that Biden is also considering whether to issue preemptive pardons to those who investigated Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retaliation when he begins his term in office.