Donald Trump's Clemencies: Unconventional Acts, Conventional Justifications

During his four years as President Donald Trump's use of the clemency power generated considerable controversy. Much scholarship documents the fact that he ignored the traditional procedures for reviewing and approving requests for pardons and commutations. Trump used clemency to favor a rogues...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:British Journal of American Legal Studies 2022-11, Vol.11 (1), p.173-207
Main Authors: Sarat, Austin, Gottesfeld, Laura, Kettles, Carolina, Ward, Olivia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arpaio, Joe
Attorneys
Clemency
Immigration
Pardons
Political activism
Political campaigns
Presidents
rehabilitation
retribution
rhetoric
Scandals
Trump, Donald J
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
cited_by
cites
container_end_page 207
container_issue 1
container_start_page 173
container_title British Journal of American Legal Studies
container_volume 11
creator Sarat, Austin
Gottesfeld, Laura
Kettles, Carolina
Ward, Olivia
description During his four years as President Donald Trump's use of the clemency power generated considerable controversy. Much scholarship documents the fact that he ignored the traditional procedures for reviewing and approving requests for pardons and commutations. Trump used clemency to favor a rogues gallery of cronies, celebrities and those whose crimes showed particular contempt for the law. However, few scholars have examined the justifications he offered when he granted pardons and commutations. This paper fills that gap. We argue that because the clemency power sits uneasily with democracy and the rule of law, when Presidents use this power they feel the need to supply justifications. We report on a study of Trump's clemency justifications that suggests that while his clemencies themselves were often controversial and his means of communicating about them unconventional, the reasons he gave for them were generally quite conventional and continuous with the justifications offered by his predecessors for their pardons and commutations.
doi_str_mv 10.2478/bjals-2022-0005
format article
fullrecord <record><control><sourceid>proquest_cross</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_proquest_journals_3155046305</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><sourcerecordid>3155046305</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c372t-a126700105927859136c6df0a0289c9524f62091a44aa9a8c62a650c6e0d1e4c3</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNqlkL1PwzAQxS0EElXpzBqJgYXQ88V2YiSGKuW7Eks7W67joFRpUuwE1P-ehCDRhYnpPvR-p3ePkHMK18jiZLre6NKHCIghAPAjMsKYypAngh0f9Kdk4n2xBoaUcwZsRF7mdaXLLFi6dru79EFa2q2tTGH9TbCqTF192Kopek0wM42_CtLD1XPrmyIvjO5nf0ZO8s6GnfzUMVnd3y3Tx3Dx-vCUzhahiWJsQk1RxAAUuMQ44ZJGwogsBw2YSCM5slwgSKoZ01rqxAjUgoMRFjJqmYnG5GK4u3P1e2t9ozZ16zo_XkXdX8BEBLxTTQeVcbX3zuZq54qtdntFQfWhqe_QVB-a6kPriNuB-NRlY11m31y775rf83-QlCKNo__wtOe_ACIkh10</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Aggregation Database</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>3155046305</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Donald Trump's Clemencies: Unconventional Acts, Conventional Justifications</title><source>Publicly Available Content (ProQuest)</source><source>EZB Electronic Journals Library</source><source>Coronavirus Research Database</source><creator>Sarat, Austin ; Gottesfeld, Laura ; Kettles, Carolina ; Ward, Olivia</creator><creatorcontrib>Sarat, Austin ; Gottesfeld, Laura ; Kettles, Carolina ; Ward, Olivia</creatorcontrib><description>During his four years as President Donald Trump's use of the clemency power generated considerable controversy. Much scholarship documents the fact that he ignored the traditional procedures for reviewing and approving requests for pardons and commutations. Trump used clemency to favor a rogues gallery of cronies, celebrities and those whose crimes showed particular contempt for the law. However, few scholars have examined the justifications he offered when he granted pardons and commutations. This paper fills that gap. We argue that because the clemency power sits uneasily with democracy and the rule of law, when Presidents use this power they feel the need to supply justifications. We report on a study of Trump's clemency justifications that suggests that while his clemencies themselves were often controversial and his means of communicating about them unconventional, the reasons he gave for them were generally quite conventional and continuous with the justifications offered by his predecessors for their pardons and commutations.</description><identifier>ISSN: 2719-5864</identifier><identifier>ISSN: 2049-4092</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 2719-5864</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.2478/bjals-2022-0005</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Birmingham: Sciendo</publisher><subject>Arpaio, Joe ; Attorneys ; Clemency ; Immigration ; Pardons ; Political activism ; Political campaigns ; Presidents ; rehabilitation ; retribution ; rhetoric ; Scandals ; Trump, Donald J</subject><ispartof>British Journal of American Legal Studies, 2022-11, Vol.11 (1), p.173-207</ispartof><rights>2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0 (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><oa>free_for_read</oa><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/3155046305?pq-origsite=primo$$EHTML$$P50$$Gproquest$$Hfree_for_read</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>314,776,780,25731,27901,27902,36989,38493,43871,44566</link.rule.ids></links><search><creatorcontrib>Sarat, Austin</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Gottesfeld, Laura</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Kettles, Carolina</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Ward, Olivia</creatorcontrib><title>Donald Trump's Clemencies: Unconventional Acts, Conventional Justifications</title><title>British Journal of American Legal Studies</title><description>During his four years as President Donald Trump's use of the clemency power generated considerable controversy. Much scholarship documents the fact that he ignored the traditional procedures for reviewing and approving requests for pardons and commutations. Trump used clemency to favor a rogues gallery of cronies, celebrities and those whose crimes showed particular contempt for the law. However, few scholars have examined the justifications he offered when he granted pardons and commutations. This paper fills that gap. We argue that because the clemency power sits uneasily with democracy and the rule of law, when Presidents use this power they feel the need to supply justifications. We report on a study of Trump's clemency justifications that suggests that while his clemencies themselves were often controversial and his means of communicating about them unconventional, the reasons he gave for them were generally quite conventional and continuous with the justifications offered by his predecessors for their pardons and commutations.</description><subject>Arpaio, Joe</subject><subject>Attorneys</subject><subject>Clemency</subject><subject>Immigration</subject><subject>Pardons</subject><subject>Political activism</subject><subject>Political campaigns</subject><subject>Presidents</subject><subject>rehabilitation</subject><subject>retribution</subject><subject>rhetoric</subject><subject>Scandals</subject><subject>Trump, Donald J</subject><issn>2719-5864</issn><issn>2049-4092</issn><issn>2719-5864</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2022</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>COVID</sourceid><sourceid>PIMPY</sourceid><recordid>eNqlkL1PwzAQxS0EElXpzBqJgYXQ88V2YiSGKuW7Eks7W67joFRpUuwE1P-ehCDRhYnpPvR-p3ePkHMK18jiZLre6NKHCIghAPAjMsKYypAngh0f9Kdk4n2xBoaUcwZsRF7mdaXLLFi6dru79EFa2q2tTGH9TbCqTF192Kopek0wM42_CtLD1XPrmyIvjO5nf0ZO8s6GnfzUMVnd3y3Tx3Dx-vCUzhahiWJsQk1RxAAUuMQ44ZJGwogsBw2YSCM5slwgSKoZ01rqxAjUgoMRFjJqmYnG5GK4u3P1e2t9ozZ16zo_XkXdX8BEBLxTTQeVcbX3zuZq54qtdntFQfWhqe_QVB-a6kPriNuB-NRlY11m31y775rf83-QlCKNo__wtOe_ACIkh10</recordid><startdate>20221101</startdate><enddate>20221101</enddate><creator>Sarat, Austin</creator><creator>Gottesfeld, Laura</creator><creator>Kettles, Carolina</creator><creator>Ward, Olivia</creator><general>Sciendo</general><general>De Gruyter Poland</general><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>ABUWG</scope><scope>AFKRA</scope><scope>AZQEC</scope><scope>BENPR</scope><scope>CCPQU</scope><scope>COVID</scope><scope>DWQXO</scope><scope>PHGZM</scope><scope>PHGZT</scope><scope>PIMPY</scope><scope>PKEHL</scope><scope>PQEST</scope><scope>PQQKQ</scope><scope>PQUKI</scope><scope>PRINS</scope></search><sort><creationdate>20221101</creationdate><title>Donald Trump's Clemencies: Unconventional Acts, Conventional Justifications</title><author>Sarat, Austin ; Gottesfeld, Laura ; Kettles, Carolina ; Ward, Olivia</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c372t-a126700105927859136c6df0a0289c9524f62091a44aa9a8c62a650c6e0d1e4c3</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2022</creationdate><topic>Arpaio, Joe</topic><topic>Attorneys</topic><topic>Clemency</topic><topic>Immigration</topic><topic>Pardons</topic><topic>Political activism</topic><topic>Political campaigns</topic><topic>Presidents</topic><topic>rehabilitation</topic><topic>retribution</topic><topic>rhetoric</topic><topic>Scandals</topic><topic>Trump, Donald J</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Sarat, Austin</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Gottesfeld, Laura</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Kettles, Carolina</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Ward, Olivia</creatorcontrib><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Alumni)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central UK/Ireland</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Essentials</collection><collection>ProQuest Central</collection><collection>ProQuest One Community College</collection><collection>Coronavirus Research Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Central</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (New)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic (New)</collection><collection>Publicly Available Content (ProQuest)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic Middle East (New)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic Eastern Edition (DO NOT USE)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic UKI Edition</collection><collection>ProQuest Central China</collection><jtitle>British Journal of American Legal Studies</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Sarat, Austin</au><au>Gottesfeld, Laura</au><au>Kettles, Carolina</au><au>Ward, Olivia</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Donald Trump's Clemencies: Unconventional Acts, Conventional Justifications</atitle><jtitle>British Journal of American Legal Studies</jtitle><date>2022-11-01</date><risdate>2022</risdate><volume>11</volume><issue>1</issue><spage>173</spage><epage>207</epage><pages>173-207</pages><issn>2719-5864</issn><issn>2049-4092</issn><eissn>2719-5864</eissn><abstract>During his four years as President Donald Trump's use of the clemency power generated considerable controversy. Much scholarship documents the fact that he ignored the traditional procedures for reviewing and approving requests for pardons and commutations. Trump used clemency to favor a rogues gallery of cronies, celebrities and those whose crimes showed particular contempt for the law. However, few scholars have examined the justifications he offered when he granted pardons and commutations. This paper fills that gap. We argue that because the clemency power sits uneasily with democracy and the rule of law, when Presidents use this power they feel the need to supply justifications. We report on a study of Trump's clemency justifications that suggests that while his clemencies themselves were often controversial and his means of communicating about them unconventional, the reasons he gave for them were generally quite conventional and continuous with the justifications offered by his predecessors for their pardons and commutations.</abstract><cop>Birmingham</cop><pub>Sciendo</pub><doi>10.2478/bjals-2022-0005</doi><tpages>35</tpages><oa>free_for_read</oa></addata></record>
fulltext fulltext
identifier ISSN: 2719-5864
ispartof British Journal of American Legal Studies, 2022-11, Vol.11 (1), p.173-207
issn 2719-5864
2049-4092
2719-5864
language eng
recordid cdi_proquest_journals_3155046305
source Publicly Available Content (ProQuest); EZB Electronic Journals Library; Coronavirus Research Database
subjects Arpaio, Joe
Attorneys
Clemency
Immigration
Pardons
Political activism
Political campaigns
Presidents
rehabilitation
retribution
rhetoric
Scandals
Trump, Donald J
title Donald Trump's Clemencies: Unconventional Acts, Conventional Justifications
url http://sfxeu10.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/loughborough?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2025-02-23T18%3A11%3A26IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-proquest_cross&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Donald%20Trump's%20Clemencies:%20Unconventional%20Acts,%20Conventional%20Justifications&rft.jtitle=British%20Journal%20of%20American%20Legal%20Studies&rft.au=Sarat,%20Austin&rft.date=2022-11-01&rft.volume=11&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=173&rft.epage=207&rft.pages=173-207&rft.issn=2719-5864&rft.eissn=2719-5864&rft_id=info:doi/10.2478/bjals-2022-0005&rft_dat=%3Cproquest_cross%3E3155046305%3C/proquest_cross%3E%3Cgrp_id%3Ecdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c372t-a126700105927859136c6df0a0289c9524f62091a44aa9a8c62a650c6e0d1e4c3%3C/grp_id%3E%3Coa%3E%3C/oa%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=3155046305&rft_id=info:pmid/&rfr_iscdi=true