The thought occured to me as I glanced at the first few criminals on this list, why is our President spending his time reviewing the cases of these people. I am not criticising Bush or his pardoning decisions here. Lord knows, Presidents have a long history of pardoning some pretty guilty-looking convicts (Clinton, included, Wayne...
). But why should it be the role of the President to review these cases and decide the pardonability (word?) of anyone? I know this has been done forever, just wondering what the logic is. Wouldn't say, an attorney general be better suited for this? Is this time well spent on our country's payroll? I dunno...just looking at some of these guys...why should the President be messing with this?
Bush Pardons 17 Minor Criminals
Aug 16, 10:02 PM (ET)
By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush pardoned 17 minor criminals Wednesday. Most weren't even sentenced to prison. The longest sentence any of the 17 received was five years behind bars.
Bush has now issued 99 pardons and sentence commutations during five years and seven months in office, mainly to clear the name of people who committed relatively minor offenses and served their sentences long ago.
He remains the stingiest of postwar presidents in this regard. By comparison, Bill Clinton issued 457 in eight years in office; Bush's father, George H. W. Bush, issued 77 in four years in office; Ronald Reagan issued 406 in eight years, and Jimmy Carter issued 563 in four years. Since World War II, the largest number of pardons and commutations - 2,031 - was issued by Harry S. Truman, who served 82 days short of eight years.
Those pardoned Wednesday were:
_James Leon Adams, Simpsonville, S.C., selling firearms to out-of-state residents and falsifying firearms records. Sentenced Jan. 27, 1976, to two years probation and a $1,000 fine.
_Tony Dale Ashworth, Winnsboro, S.C., unlawful transfer of a firearm. Sentenced July 19, 1989, to three years probation conditioned on the performance of 300 hours community service.
_Randall Leece Deal, Clayton, Ga., liquor law violations and conspiracy to violate the liquor laws. Sentenced June 23, 1960, to two years probation and April 29, 1964, and May 8, 1964, to 18 months imprisonment, suspended, and two years probation.
_William Henry Eagle, Wenatchee, Wash., possessing an unregistered still, carrying on the business of a distiller without the required bond, and manufacturing mash on other than lawfully qualified premises. Sentenced March 23, 1972, to two years probation.
_Robert Carter Eversole, Summerville, Ga., conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment. Sentenced June 18, 1984, to five years probation, with the special conditions that he pay $4,038 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service.
_Kenneth Clifford Foner, Niobrara, Neb., conspiracy to impede the functions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., commit embezzlement as a bank officer, make false entries in the records of an FDIC-insured bank, and commit bank fraud. Sentenced July 19, 1991, to five years probation, conditioned upon performance of 1,000 hours of community service and payment of $17,750 in restitution.
_Victoria Diane Frost, Medina, Ohio, conspiracy to possess and distribute L-Ephedrine Hydrochloride. Sentenced April 25, 1994, to three years probation, including six months' home confinement, and fined $3,000.
_William Grover Frye, Indianapolis, Ind., absence without leave (two specifications), escape from lawful confinement, sale of a stolen motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Sentenced Oct. 3, 1968, by U.S. Army general court-martial to confinement at hard labor for one year, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a bad conduct discharge. Sentenced Oct. 15, 1973, in U.S. District Court to two years probation.
_Stanley Bernard Hamilton, Richton Park, Ill., altering U.S. postal money orders. Sentenced Sept. 13, 1990, to three years probation, conditioned upon confinement for 30 days in a community treatment center and payment of a $1,000 fine.
_Melodie Jean Hebert, Scituate, R.I., conspiracy to defraud the United States by making false claims. Sentenced Feb. 23, 1984, to two years probation, conditioned upon payment of $1,250 in restitution.
_James Ernest Kinard, Jr., Stuart, Fla., failure by a licensed firearms dealer to make appropriate entries in firearms records required to be kept by law (four counts); making false entries by a licensed firearms dealer in firearms records required to be kept by law. Sentenced March 26, 1984, to five years' probation conditioned upon performance of 1,000 hours community service and payment of restitution in an amount to be determined by the U.S. Probation Officer and a $12,000 fine.
_Devin Timothy Kruse, San Clemente, Calif., unauthorized absence. Sentenced Nov. 28, 1978, by U.S. Coast Guard special court-martial to reduction to pay grade E-2 and a $450 fine.
_Gerard Murphy, Rayne, La., theft of a motor vehicle from a U.S. Air Force base. Sentenced March 14, 1972, to one year probation.
_Joseph Mathew Novak, Kent, Ohio, possession and transfer of an illegal weapon. Sentenced Dec. 2, 1994, to two years probation, with the special condition that he serve six months home confinement, and a $2,000 fine.
_John Louis Ribando, Le Mars, Ia., possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; importing marijuana. Sentenced Nov. 15, 1976, to five years imprisonment followed by five years special parole. Sentenced July 11, 1978, to six months confinement in a jail-type institution, 10 years special parole, and five years probation, conditioned upon performance of 1,200 hours of charitable work and payment of a $1,000 fine (to run consecutive to the first sentence).
_Edward Rodriguez Trevino, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii, larceny. Sentenced Sept. 19, 1997 by U.S. Navy special court-martial to three months confinement, forfeiture of pay and allowance for three months, and reduction in pay grade.
_Jerry Dean Walker, Newark, Del., possession with intent to distribute cocaine Sentenced April 10, 1989, to three years imprisonment, as amended Oct. 19, 1989.
---On the Net:
Justice Department Pardon Attorney: http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/
). But why should it be the role of the President to review these cases and decide the pardonability (word?) of anyone? I know this has been done forever, just wondering what the logic is. Wouldn't say, an attorney general be better suited for this? Is this time well spent on our country's payroll? I dunno...just looking at some of these guys...why should the President be messing with this?Bush Pardons 17 Minor Criminals
Aug 16, 10:02 PM (ET)
By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush pardoned 17 minor criminals Wednesday. Most weren't even sentenced to prison. The longest sentence any of the 17 received was five years behind bars.
Bush has now issued 99 pardons and sentence commutations during five years and seven months in office, mainly to clear the name of people who committed relatively minor offenses and served their sentences long ago.
He remains the stingiest of postwar presidents in this regard. By comparison, Bill Clinton issued 457 in eight years in office; Bush's father, George H. W. Bush, issued 77 in four years in office; Ronald Reagan issued 406 in eight years, and Jimmy Carter issued 563 in four years. Since World War II, the largest number of pardons and commutations - 2,031 - was issued by Harry S. Truman, who served 82 days short of eight years.
Those pardoned Wednesday were:
_James Leon Adams, Simpsonville, S.C., selling firearms to out-of-state residents and falsifying firearms records. Sentenced Jan. 27, 1976, to two years probation and a $1,000 fine.
_Tony Dale Ashworth, Winnsboro, S.C., unlawful transfer of a firearm. Sentenced July 19, 1989, to three years probation conditioned on the performance of 300 hours community service.
_Randall Leece Deal, Clayton, Ga., liquor law violations and conspiracy to violate the liquor laws. Sentenced June 23, 1960, to two years probation and April 29, 1964, and May 8, 1964, to 18 months imprisonment, suspended, and two years probation.
_William Henry Eagle, Wenatchee, Wash., possessing an unregistered still, carrying on the business of a distiller without the required bond, and manufacturing mash on other than lawfully qualified premises. Sentenced March 23, 1972, to two years probation.
_Robert Carter Eversole, Summerville, Ga., conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment. Sentenced June 18, 1984, to five years probation, with the special conditions that he pay $4,038 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service.
_Kenneth Clifford Foner, Niobrara, Neb., conspiracy to impede the functions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., commit embezzlement as a bank officer, make false entries in the records of an FDIC-insured bank, and commit bank fraud. Sentenced July 19, 1991, to five years probation, conditioned upon performance of 1,000 hours of community service and payment of $17,750 in restitution.
_Victoria Diane Frost, Medina, Ohio, conspiracy to possess and distribute L-Ephedrine Hydrochloride. Sentenced April 25, 1994, to three years probation, including six months' home confinement, and fined $3,000.
_William Grover Frye, Indianapolis, Ind., absence without leave (two specifications), escape from lawful confinement, sale of a stolen motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Sentenced Oct. 3, 1968, by U.S. Army general court-martial to confinement at hard labor for one year, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a bad conduct discharge. Sentenced Oct. 15, 1973, in U.S. District Court to two years probation.
_Stanley Bernard Hamilton, Richton Park, Ill., altering U.S. postal money orders. Sentenced Sept. 13, 1990, to three years probation, conditioned upon confinement for 30 days in a community treatment center and payment of a $1,000 fine.
_Melodie Jean Hebert, Scituate, R.I., conspiracy to defraud the United States by making false claims. Sentenced Feb. 23, 1984, to two years probation, conditioned upon payment of $1,250 in restitution.
_James Ernest Kinard, Jr., Stuart, Fla., failure by a licensed firearms dealer to make appropriate entries in firearms records required to be kept by law (four counts); making false entries by a licensed firearms dealer in firearms records required to be kept by law. Sentenced March 26, 1984, to five years' probation conditioned upon performance of 1,000 hours community service and payment of restitution in an amount to be determined by the U.S. Probation Officer and a $12,000 fine.
_Devin Timothy Kruse, San Clemente, Calif., unauthorized absence. Sentenced Nov. 28, 1978, by U.S. Coast Guard special court-martial to reduction to pay grade E-2 and a $450 fine.
_Gerard Murphy, Rayne, La., theft of a motor vehicle from a U.S. Air Force base. Sentenced March 14, 1972, to one year probation.
_Joseph Mathew Novak, Kent, Ohio, possession and transfer of an illegal weapon. Sentenced Dec. 2, 1994, to two years probation, with the special condition that he serve six months home confinement, and a $2,000 fine.
_John Louis Ribando, Le Mars, Ia., possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; importing marijuana. Sentenced Nov. 15, 1976, to five years imprisonment followed by five years special parole. Sentenced July 11, 1978, to six months confinement in a jail-type institution, 10 years special parole, and five years probation, conditioned upon performance of 1,200 hours of charitable work and payment of a $1,000 fine (to run consecutive to the first sentence).
_Edward Rodriguez Trevino, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii, larceny. Sentenced Sept. 19, 1997 by U.S. Navy special court-martial to three months confinement, forfeiture of pay and allowance for three months, and reduction in pay grade.
_Jerry Dean Walker, Newark, Del., possession with intent to distribute cocaine Sentenced April 10, 1989, to three years imprisonment, as amended Oct. 19, 1989.
---On the Net:
Justice Department Pardon Attorney: http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/
