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Index/Topics/State Clemency

State Clemency

The power of state governors or boards to grant clemency for state crimes.

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Jan 19, 2026
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What is the legal difference between a commutation and a pardon in federal clemency law?

A commutation reduces or alters the punishment a court imposed without erasing the underlying conviction, while a pardon is an act of forgiveness that can restore certain rights and relieve legal cons...

Jan 29, 2026
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How do state convictions interact with presidential pardons and the limits of federal pardon power?

The president’s applies only to “offenses against the ,” meaning federal crimes; it does not reach state criminal convictions or private civil liability . While precedent describes the pardon power as...