As we get closer to the inauguration, and Donald Trump has said he plans on pardoning the January 6 defendants, this is an interesting development from the DOJ.
Justice Department: Jan. 6 defendants who accept pardons will make ‘a confession of guilt’ https://t.co/pJJTDHXTa7
— POLITICO (@politico) December 11, 2024
The Justice Department sent a message Wednesday to Jan. 6 defendants: Accepting a pardon from Donald Trump is 'a confession of guilt' for your crimes.
'[A] pardon at some unspecified date in the future ... would not unring the bell of conviction,' federal prosecutors argued in a Jan. 6 case before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols. 'In fact, quite the opposite. The defendant would first have to accept the pardon, which necessitates a confession of guilt.'
Did Hunter Biden make a 'confession of guilt' when he accepted a ten-year blanket pardon from his daddy?
If not, this is garbage.
Me: The Justice Department will ingest an enormous satchel of Richards.
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) December 12, 2024
You have a way with words.
Nope. No they won't. Doesn't work that way.
— Larry Schweikart (@LarrySchwe94560) December 12, 2024
Did Crackhead make an admission of guilt?
Exactly. It doesn't work this way.
So they're saying Hunter Biden really is a tax dodging crackhead who illegally possessed firearms?
— Redcloak the Unruly 🍊 (@BrewingAle) December 11, 2024
No, no. That's (D)ifferent.
But people of the Biden Administration getting Pardons preemptively and never having to plead guilty. Seems fair
— Cindy (@burnzyc19) December 11, 2024
Totally fair.
Not.
Did the Vietnam War draft dodgers have to make a confession of guilt to benefit from President Carter's en masse pardon of them?
— Mark W. Smith/#2A Scholar (@fourboxesdiner) December 12, 2024
Probably not.
Where is that required? https://t.co/SSjsYpbbNg
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) December 12, 2024
It's not.
It's a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation: don't accept the pardon and you're guilty. Accept the pardon and you're also guilty.
Ahh, so the Jan 6 defendant pardoned would be confessing their guilt… but Hunter Biden, and anyone who gets a preemptive pardon is not… glad that cleared it all up. https://t.co/CCJzPNdFrD pic.twitter.com/0zJJaf9Rbq
— Now Reporting from Clown Town 🤡 (@clowntownreport) December 11, 2024
Some people are special.
Or they'll tell you to kiss their a**es and then Trump will pardon them for that too, @TheJusticeDept https://t.co/IU8RatkiUD
— Nick Searcy, INSURRECTIONAL FILM & TELEVISION STAR (@yesnicksearcy) December 12, 2024
Oh, we hope this happens.
So Hunter, Liz, Fauci, Schiff, and Milley accepting pardons would mean... https://t.co/BXooOZFZSK
— ghandiz (@StevieGhandiz) December 12, 2024
By the DOJ's logic, it means they're guilty. Guilty, guilty, guilty.
A pardon can be accepted without admitting guilt. Also, the Justice Department cannot put conditions on pardons. https://t.co/Vz4m576xxZ
— Andrew "The Kid" Glidden (@asglidden) December 12, 2024
The fact they're trying to put conditions on pardons for Jan 6 defendants shows exactly why they need to be pardoned: this is a two-tier justice system. Donald Trump and his administration need to make this reasoning very clear when they issue the pardons.
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