The days are counting down until U.S. President Joe Biden leaves the White House, but before he does, the octogenarian is taking care of his judicial chores.
On Thursday, he granted presidential pardons to 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes while commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 others, the largest one-day clemency act in modern history. .
White House does not release names of people involved in mass commute, Associated Press report.
The U.S. Constitution provides that the president has “broad power to grant reprieves and pardons for crimes against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
As Breitbart News reported, earlier this month Biden granted a controversial pardon to his son Hunter.
Biden Jr. was facing sentencing in two criminal cases, and his father's move comes after years of saying he would not do such a thing.
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Now 81, he has extended that singular courtesy to an even wider list of recipients.
Announcing the move, Biden said the pardonees “have successfully rehabilitated themselves and demonstrated a commitment to making our communities stronger and safer.”
Their nonviolent convictions also included drug offenses.
The sentence reductions were for hundreds of people who have been kept under home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic, serving sentences that Biden deemed too long.
They “showed they deserve a second chance,” Biden added.
Biden said he would take further steps in the coming weeks and continue to consider the clemency petition.
The second-highest number of pardons in a single day was 330 granted by fellow Democratic President Barack Obama, just before leaving office in 2017.
To date, the president has granted 122 commutations and 21 pardons.
