Is this a random process or what? There are hundreds of thousands of people in jail on similar convictions.

_ Ricky Dale Collett of Annville, Ky., sentenced in 2002 to one year of probation for aiding and abetting in the manufacture of 61 marijuana plants.

_ Thomas Paul Ledford of Jonesborough, Tenn., sentenced in 1995 to one year of probation for conducting and directing an illegal gambling business.

Umm...I like the gesture and everything, but shouldn't you be pardoning people who are actually in jail? Why are you pardoning people who got misdemeanor charges, never went to jail, and served their probation years and years ago?

/Wonder how much money they've donated to the 2012 fund

So he pardon/commuted a bunch of people who are mostly already out of jail. I suppose as a technicality to clear their record to make them available for otherwise restricted jobs and/or security clearances?

Aside from that, I have no idea why the fark the president would pardon these people.

I manufacture fresh carrots.

I am waiting for El Presidente to pardon the fake birth certificate makers.

So is this kinda for those that were convicted then served time, cleaned up their act and now this is just a way to clean up their record so they can get on with their life?

I never understood the presidential pardon. Granted I have zero issue with him letting some people go on bullshiat drug charges, too bad it's just a handful. But beyond that, I never much understood why the executive branch is just allowed to toss away a conviction of somebody by a jury of their peers, and yet jury nullification is still not actually allowed.

Golf-clap for the tag, subby.

EWreckedSean: I never much understood why the executive branch is just allowed to toss away a conviction of somebody by a jury of their peers, and yet jury nullification is still not actually allowed.

It's there to give the president the ability to give otherwise unlawful orders. You can tell someone to do something illegal, and offer a pardon along with it.

Take that as you will.

Just because it interests me, it would appear that at least two of those pardoned are now Wall Street banksters.

Rick Collette - Executive Vice President and Business Banking Group Manager, Washington Federal Savings
Tom Ledford - Chairman, The Lenox Group

Guess Obama's all dandy with busting marijuana growers in California, but if they're corporate titans on Wall Street they need not worry, eh?

Pants full of macaroni!!: And yet, the War On Drugs™ rolls on unabated.

Unabated? I think you mean increasing. This administrations DoJ seems to be going after medical marijuana dispensaries in CA. Obama pardoning a few people convicted of drug related crimes is pathetic. He should not be clearing jails* so he can stuff in good people who are (generally) trying to be helpful by relieving chronic pain.

*I know that some of these were already out. Still, a pardon clears your record. Why clear these people and yet go after the good guys?

James!: EWreckedSean: I never understood the presidential pardon. Granted I have zero issue with him letting some people go on bullshiat drug charges, too bad it's just a handful. But beyond that, I never much understood why the executive branch is just allowed to toss away a conviction of somebody by a jury of their peers, and yet jury nullification is still not actually allowed.

It's allowed, but most people don't know.

It's actually not allowed. If a juror is subtle they can get away with it, but if a judge thinks it has happened he can use that as a reason to over turn the jury's decision. If you want to get out of jury duty, just tell them you believe in it.

Your weed policy still sucks...

This limp wristed and transparent pandering is like totally harshing my buzz.

Pants full of macaroni!!: And yet, the War On Drugs™ rolls on unabated.

THIS

The Administration's latest target (all of California's legal cannabis clubs) will only put more people in jail, for the same crimes he JUST pardoned. Obama is really trying hard to give up on his presidency.

Shaggy_C: Just because it interests me, it would appear that at least two of those pardoned are now Wall Street banksters.

Rick Collette - Executive Vice President and Business Banking Group Manager, Washington Federal Savings
Tom Ledford - Chairman, The Lenox Group

Guess Obama's all dandy with busting marijuana growers in California, but if they're corporate titans on Wall Street they need not worry, eh?

You can guess if a handful of people are pardoned only, there are political ties in their somewhere that got them on the presidents desk. Want to impress me, give a pardon to everybody in prison right now on non-violent drug charges. Hell talk about deficit reduction.

Would have been nice if the article had any type of explanation as to why these individuals merited a pardon....

Shaggy_C: Just because it interests me, it would appear that at least two of those pardoned are now Wall Street banksters.

Rick Collette - Executive Vice President and Business Banking Group Manager, Washington Federal Savings
Tom Ledford - Chairman, The Lenox Group

Guess Obama's all dandy with busting marijuana growers in California, but if they're corporate titans on Wall Street they need not worry, eh?

1 - Article has a Ricky Collett. No e at the end.
2 - The article has a Thomas Paul Ledford. Your link shows a Tom E. Ledford.

Unless they changed their names to be something very slightly different, you only stumbled on an amusing coincidence.

Shaggy_C: /Wonder how much money they've donated to the 2012 fund

That

Pardoned for drugs and gambling... Two things that should be legal in this country anyway.

Our politicians are such hypocrites and they wonder why we don't trust the system.

I'm going to apply for pardons for crimes I haven't committed, so that if I do commit them later on I'll be all set.

EWreckedSean: Shaggy_C: Just because it interests me, it would appear that at least two of those pardoned are now Wall Street banksters.

Rick Collette - Executive Vice President and Business Banking Group Manager, Washington Federal Savings
Tom Ledford - Chairman, The Lenox Group

Guess Obama's all dandy with busting marijuana growers in California, but if they're corporate titans on Wall Street they need not worry, eh?

You can guess if a handful of people are pardoned only, there are political ties in their somewhere that got them on the presidents desk. Want to impress me, give a pardon to everybody in prison right now on non-violent drug charges. Hell talk about deficit reduction.

You know most of them would be right back in.

Part of Johnson's platform is pardoning all non-violent marijuana convictions.

What's the point of pardoning people who've already served their sentences?

Shaggy_C: Umm...I like the gesture and everything, but shouldn't you be pardoning people who are actually in jail?

Imagine the furore if someone was pardoned and released from jail then done a bad murder.

Sock Ruh Tease: Unless they changed their names to be something very slightly different, you only stumbled on an amusing coincidence.

Darn, you're right. I thought I had stumbled upon something there, the state even lined up (Tennessee). Oh well...The details will surface eventually.

TravisBickle62: Is this a random process or what?

Alonjar: Aside from that, I have no idea why the fark the president would pardon these people.

jpo2269: Would have been nice if the article had any type of explanation as to why these individuals merited a pardon....

Shaggy_C: Wonder how much money they've donated to the 2012 fund

EWreckedSean: You can guess if a handful of people are pardoned only, there are political ties in their somewhere that got them on the presidents desk.

My thoughts exactly :)

Looks like I need to start donating to the Obama campaign.

Need to get these marijuana felonies pardoned so I can work for the DoD.

Wyalt Derp: Imagine the furore if someone was pardoned and released from jail then done a bad murder.

As opposed to a GOOD murder?

Wyalt Derp: Shaggy_C: Umm...I like the gesture and everything, but shouldn't you be pardoning people who are actually in jail?

Imagine the furore if someone was pardoned and released from jail then done a bad murder.

And let's not forget the epic biatching that would ensue when the recent parolees remained unemployed for a lengthy time.

What has shiat come to that when a minor pot grower from a decade ago gets a pardon, everyone starts assuming he's a major political donor?

How about maybe not EVERYTHING is a deeper conspiracy?

somemoron: Pants full of macaroni!!: And yet, the War On Drugs™ rolls on unabated.

Unabated? I think you mean increasing. This administrations DoJ seems to be going after medical marijuana dispensaries in CA. Obama pardoning a few people convicted of drug related crimes is pathetic. He should not be clearing jails* so he can stuff in good people who are (generally) trying to be helpful by relieving chronic pain.

*I know that some of these were already out. Still, a pardon clears your record. Why clear these people and yet go after the good guys?

Let's look at it more closely shall we? The administration made it clear that until there is proof it is actually useful for medical conditions there would still be a ban on it.

The DOJ begins to crack down on California dispensaries after first sending in undercover buyers. So most likely those undercover buyers got the card from the dispensary after either no evaluation for a medical issue or a very, very cursery one where anyone and everyone gets a card.

So tell me again how they weren't even breaking state law much less Federal law?

22 years for an analog to bath salts?

These people shouldn't have been in jail to begin with.

Shaggy_C: Just because it interests me, it would appear that at least two of those pardoned are now Wall Street banksters.

Rick Collette - Executive Vice President and Business Banking Group Manager, Washington Federal Savings
Tom Ledford - Chairman, The Lenox Group

Guess Obama's all dandy with busting marijuana growers in California, but if they're corporate titans on Wall Street they need not worry, eh?

With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful

you know, if I were Obama... or any Democrat President for that matter, if it was the end of my last term in office and the Republicans won the election, my last action would be to pardon every single murderer in the opposition's home state, tell the murderers to remember who helped you out, and sit back and watch the fireworks.