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Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

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Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#91

Post by OtomotO »

royaltjames wrote: post #79
fwipsy wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article you linked, child sacrifice allegations came from an anonymous FBI interview in 2019 and are not confirmed by any credible evidence. There are no cannibalism allegations; the word "cannibal" only appears in innocuous contexts. So child sacrifice and cannibalism are only technically "in the Epstein files;" there's very little evidence that anyone did those things. For other readers, if you hadn't hear…

Little evidence that I was abused as a child too, must not have happened.

I am deeply sorry for your experience and I totally understand that it triggers something, but let's be ice cold logical for a moment.

If there is no evidence of a crime, you cannot prosecute someone in a constitutional democracy.

If you could you could just make up any claims and get rid of people you simply despise.

Which happens in various regimes...

So although it's certainly a possibility that such cases happened, as long as there is no evidence that they happened, they didn't for all legal matters.

Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#92

Post by lateforwork »

siliconc0w wrote: post #38

We should at least ban the "preemptive" pardon if not all pardons. Pardon means forgiveness for a specific convicted crime, not a means to grant blanket immunity.

There are two types here: (1) Pardons for crimes not yet committed. (2) Pardons for crimes committed, but not yet convicted. The first type will allow the pardoned to commit a crime in the future for free, which obviously should not be allowed. The second should be allowed if we have this pardon system at all.

The second type became a political necessity, for example to protect Liz Cheney from a vengeful administration.

Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#93

Post by jimkleiber »

I like the concept. I'd love to see more types of data available, especially maybe race, age, connection to the president or their families, donations that the pardoned/commuted people have given and to whom, and more.

I'd find that fascinating for seeing deeper patterns.

Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#94

Post by bloppe »

b00ty4breakfast wrote: post #70
siliconc0w wrote: post #38

We should at least ban the "preemptive" pardon if not all pardons. Pardon means forgiveness for a specific convicted crime, not a means to grant blanket immunity.

There is no universe where any pardon is abolished unless there is a massive political shakeup. The entrenched political class is terrified of endangering their power and privilege even if individual players are ready to do it.

I've often wondered what would happen if a president explicitly offers to pardon anybody who murders members of Congress. Would they settle on reigning in the pardon power with an amendment?

We're sort of already there. A lot of the Jan 6 rioters were openly trying to murder congressmen. The fact they weren't successful isn't super reassuring.

Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#95

Post by salawat »

millbj92 wrote: post #76

Presidents shouldn't have the right to outright pardon people. It should have to go through some sort of body beforehand and be voted on like everything else.

The Pardon is a structural check on the legislative and judiciary. It cannot be done away with safely without causing massive problems down the road. If anything, this should be a learning experience for the country not to put criminally inclined presidents in office.

Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#96

Post by salawat »

andrewstuart wrote: post #27

Pardon power can serve no reasonable goal in a functioning democracy except to subvert justice.

Justice is a moving target mate. Should people who had a few pounds of reefer still be serving 30 year sentences? 90's adults would probably say yes. Today? Not so much. Part of being human is being open to the fact you were wrong. The Pardon is the release valve that lets the Chief Executive remove the targets the System has painted on people's backs in response to a clear shift in public conscience. The public in recent history, threw all prudence to the wind and put a con man in office. Surprise, surprise when a con man uses the office to do what con men do.

Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#97

Post by aexer0e »

bloppe wrote: post #94
b00ty4breakfast wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no universe where any pardon is abolished unless there is a massive political shakeup. The entrenched political class is terrified of endangering their power and privilege even if individual players are ready to do it.

I've often wondered what would happen if a president explicitly offers to pardon anybody who murders members of Congress. Would they settle on reigning in the pardon power with an amendment? We're sort of already there. A lot of the Jan 6 rioters were openly trying to murder congressmen. The fact they weren't successful isn't super reassuring.

Pardons only stop the federal government from prosecuting someone, the states would still go after those individuals

Re: Show HN: Pardonned.com – A searchable database of US Pardons

#99

Post by didgetmaster »

bloppe wrote: post #94
b00ty4breakfast wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no universe where any pardon is abolished unless there is a massive political shakeup. The entrenched political class is terrified of endangering their power and privilege even if individual players are ready to do it.

I've often wondered what would happen if a president explicitly offers to pardon anybody who murders members of Congress. Would they settle on reigning in the pardon power with an amendment? We're sort of already there. A lot of the Jan 6 rioters were openly trying to murder congressmen. The fact they weren't successful isn't super reassuring.

Like most political arguments, if you listen carefully; those who advocate for or against pardons, only want them to go one way.

A pardon is only a protection against a 'vengeful administration' if that administration is not your party.

Pardons are only a miscarriage of justice if those pardoned don't share your ideology.

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