According to article II section 2 of the Constitution, the president "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment."
However, the word "commute" does not appear. Furthermore, according to answers.com on pardon-power:
Thomas http://www.answers.com pardoned ten newspaper printers who had been convicted under the http://www.answers.com Act of 1798. Along with those pardons, Congress voted to remit the printers' fines, suggesting that the original understanding of the president's power did not extend that far.
pardon-power
The legal question then seems to be whether or not the commutation of a prison sentence fall under the legal umbrella of a "reprieve." A reprieve is, as I understand it, a delay in the carrying out of a sentence.
On the other hand, Patrick Fitzgerald's comment from yesterday explicitly accepted that President Bush does have this power.
Yes, the governor has the power to pardon, commute or suspend sentences.
Amnesty, Pardon, Parole, or the Commutation of their sentence.
The power of commutation is a power only given to the president of the United States and is the power to commute (reduce) the length of a sentence or a fine by a court.
The President of France has several powers, including the ability to appoint the Prime Minister and members of the government, as well as dissolve the National Assembly and call for new elections. They also serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and have the power to sign and ratify treaties. Additionally, the President represents France in foreign affairs and has the power to grant pardons and commute sentences.
pardon, release, or commute sentences
??? you know of course the mandatory penalty by law is 25 years to life imprisonment? and that they do not commute sentences ..
It's called commute
A president's power to grant pardons is formally called the Presidential Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons. This power allows the president to forgive criminal actions and grant permission to cancel the punishments stipulated by the judicial system. This power can be used in all types of criminal actions except for impeachment.
When I cross the sound, I ride on the ferry boat.Many people commute across the open water by ferry.The Staten Island Ferry is free.
US President Lincoln commuted the death sentences of 260 Native Americans who had been captured during the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862. Many other Native Americans were killed in the conflict. On one day alone, the largest mass execution of Native Americans took place in 1862. Thirty eight Native Americans were hanged on December 26, 1862.
I commute because I can't work from home.
Every day, millions of suburban residents commute to their jobs in the cities. The governor decided to commute all death penalty sentences to life terms in prison.