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Preferred term

pardon  

Definition

  • Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution states that the president has “the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in the case of impeachment.” Pardons are orders that release an individual or group of individuals from the legal penalties for crimes they have committed. In the federal government, this power is solely in the hands of the chief executive, and it has historically been a source of controversy. [Source: Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment; Pardon]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/pardon

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