This article analyzes the pardoning actions of Presidents Biden and Trump, focusing on their impact on drug offenders. It highlights Biden's commutation of sentences for nearly 2,500 nonviolent drug offenders and Trump's pardon of Ross William Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace. The article also critiques Trump's declaration of Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, arguing that the war on drugs is ineffective.
When wielded responsibly, the presidential power to pardon and commute sentences is essential to right injustices. Controversy rightly arose after President Joe Biden, in his last minutes in office, pardoned family members. Then new President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,000 defendants from the Jan. 6 riot four years ago.
Reforms since then reduced penalties as Americans came to understand that draconian punishments went too far. Still, many have remained behind bars with stiffer than justified penalties for nonviolent drug offenses. Said Biden Monday in a statement, “This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars.
Ulbricht was convicted of facilitating drug sales and money laundering on the “dark web.” In 2015, he was given two life sentences in prison. Jacob Sullum noted in Reason magazine the government “averred” Ulbricht allegedly contracted for murders. But the actual charges “did not include attempted murder for hire, and no such charge was ever presented to the jury, let alone proven in court.” But many have speculated such talk may have contributed to Ulbricht’s harsh sentence.
Trump explained on his TruthSocial platform he called Ulbricht’s mother “to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross.”
Law PARDONS DRUG WAR SENTENCING DISPARITIES SILK ROAD ROSS WILLIAM ULBRICHT
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