12/4/11

ProPublica: white people receive far more presidential pardons

Only one Native American was pardoned under the Bush regime. ProPublica's Dafna Linzer and Jennifer LaFleur reveal mostly unsurprising results (to me) of a study co-published in the Washington Post. Here is an excerpt from the first of two articles:
Blacks have had the poorest chance of receiving the president's ultimate act of mercy, according to an analysis of previously unreleased records and related data. Current and former officials at the White House and Justice Department said they were surprised and dismayed by the racial disparities, which persist even when factors such as the type of crime and sentence are considered. Obama officials believed changes in the pardon system could be made by executive order.
Leonard Peltier should be pardoned this year, Mr. President.

President Obama nominated Native American judge Arvo Mikkanen to Oklahoma federal circuit. Expect the white earth haters in the Senate threaten to filibuster.

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