The counties very first pardon was by President George Washington. When he pardoned one hundred and fifty people who participated in the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion before they were convicted of treason.
This is a great example of past use of the Presidential power to “pardon and reprieve” vested in the President by Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution .
We have both a prepardon for those not yet convicted and a sweeping pardon of a group. Both of these things happened again in a 24 hour period As departing President Joe Biden prepardon a group he thought would be prosecuted for their past political actions or due to their proximity to him. Then returning President Donald Trump pardoned everyone involved in the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol. his “day of love”
Just on their face each of these are truly political acts. Which through that lens can be seen as justice or injustice depending on which side you pledge your undieing allegiance to. But, if you are a little more jaundice about pure loyalty there can be some doubts :
1 How broad are prepardons? Are they truly get out of jail free cards?
2 If family members are pardoned for there proximity can’t charges still be structured to get around that shield?
3 Will some partisan State Attorney General decide that State charges need to be brought? Because then the person would need the State Governor to step in.
4 The pardoning and clemancy of over 1000 January 6th Defendants included according Julian Khater, who assaulted US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick and later pled guilty to assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon; Devlyn Thompson, who hit a police officer with a metal baton; and Robert Palmer, a Florida man who attacked police with a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank and a pole. Is this the right idea?
All of this smells, but as with the first pardons the road map was there.

A founding partner with Bradshaw & Bryant, Mike Bryant has always fought to find justice for his clients—knowing that legal troubles, both personal injury and criminal, can be devastating for a family. Voted a Top 40 Personal Injury "Super Lawyer" multiple years, Mr. Bryant has also been voted one of the Top 100 Minnesota "Super Lawyers" four times.