All articles tagged with #pardon
Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardoned Elor Azaria, the soldier who shot and killed an incapacitated Palestinian attacker in Hebron in 2016, expunging his criminal record and allowing him to begin a new life, a move that overrode the IDF chief of staff’s opposition and fueled a years-long national debate about accountability and military ethics.
Israel’s president pardoned combat medic Elor Azaria, who killed a badly wounded Palestinian after a stabbing in Hebron, following a defence minister’s recommendation and near Yom Kippur. The 2017 manslaughter conviction remained controversial, with supporters calling the pardon humane and opponents citing security and military conduct concerns; the move does not reopen the case, and it revived long-standing political and public divisions about punishment and legitimacy in the Israeli security system.
President Donald Trump indicated he would consider a pardon request for Lindsay Clancy, but reiterated that pardons are a state matter, not federal, and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has no authority to grant one while the case is in state court; Clancy’s murder trial ended in a mistrial with a holdout juror, and a retrial could occur as a status hearing is set for later in September.
Former President Donald Trump said he will not grant a presidential pardon for Lindsay Clancy, arguing the case is a state matter and not within federal power; Clancy’s murder trial ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors may retry the case, while her defense had urged the president to consider a pardon.
President Donald Trump said he would not intervene in the Lindsay Clancy case, calling it a state matter despite her attorney’s pardon request. He noted there’s no winner and urged the local system to resolve the retrial/penalties, acknowledging the tragedy of three deaths. Clancy faces three counts of first-degree murder after a mistrial with an 11–1 split among jurors; her defense attributes the deaths to postpartum psychosis, and prosecutors and defense must work out the case at the state level.
Trump said he would weigh a pardon for Michael Cohen 'if everything is checked out,' signaling a possible thaw with his former fixer who testified against him in the 2024 hush-money case; Cohen, once a close adviser turned critic, has floated asking Trump for clemency and has previously sought pardons from Biden and the Trump administrations, though a pardon would not restore his law license.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declined to say whether she would seek a pardon for Lindsay Clancy, noting she cannot recommend clemency without an existing conviction after Clancy’s first-degree murder trial ended in a mistrial; Clancy’s attorney publicly urged a pardon from President Trump, but Healey’s clemency authority covers only state convictions, not federal ones.
Lindsay Clancy’s defense lawyer urged President Trump to pardon her, citing her character and postpartum mental health, while Trump commented on the mistrial and possible retrial. A pardon would apply only to federal cases, not the state case, leaving the Massachusetts proceedings unresolved. The mistrial sets up a potential retrial with a Sept. 29 pretrial date, and both sides face questions about deals, jury selection, and the impact of media coverage. The case continues to spotlight perinatal mental health and postpartum psychosis.
Lindsay Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington said on Good Morning America that he hopes President Trump would consider a pardon for Clancy, highlighting her alleged postpartum psychosis; the plea is unusual since presidential clemency covers federal cases, while Massachusetts prosecutors have to decide whether to retry her after a hung jury in the state murder trial or pursue a plea deal, with DA Timothy Cruz weighing options amid the ongoing case. Patrick Clancy’s lawyers also pushed back against online theories about the father’s involvement.
Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, publicly urged President Trump on Good Morning America to consider pardoning Clancy after a mistrial in her Massachusetts murder case; however, presidential pardons apply to federal, not state, charges, and no clear pathway for Trump’s involvement was outlined, with the case entering renewed scrutiny after the mistrial and a lone holdout juror.
Michael Cohen, once a fierce Trump critic, appears to be back in the president’s orbit after a cordial interview in which Cohen flatters Trump and avoids tough questions; Trump signals acceptance of his return, while Cohen keeps pursuing a pardon and focuses on current issues like Iran and the midterms.
Michael Cohen says he and Trump have privately reconciled and will discuss their past on Cohen’s radio show when Trump calls in; Cohen won’t commit to asking for presidential clemency during the interview, though he has previously sought a pardon and received a three-year prison sentence related to hush-money actions.
Chadian President Mahamat Déby granted a state pardon to Succès Masra, a political rival and former prime minister serving a 20-year sentence, paving the way for his release. Masra, who had claimed to defeat Déby in 2024, was arrested over alleged links to a deadly southwest clash. The pardon is not Amnesty, and the nine recipients could still be prosecuted; eight other GCAP members were pardoned for organizing a banned protest, while a separate decree allows partial remission for some detainees.
Disgraced former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, pardoned by Donald Trump last year, is now lobbying for clemency on behalf of a suburban Chicago councilman convicted in a 2005 vote-buying scheme who fled the country and is reportedly on the lam in Greece.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz defended the June clemency for Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 10-year-old, even after federal officials revoked his status and deported him to Laos. Walz said the pardon wasn’t about immigration policy and cited factors like victim support and other considerations, while critics including federal officials and Republican lawmakers—such as Marco Rubio—argued the decision had immigration and safety implications.