Presidential Pardon - I don't think that means what Trump thinks it means.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/31/how-do-presidential-pardons-work.html

What is a presidential pardon?

A pardon is seen as a “sign of forgiveness,” not necessarily evidence that a person is innocent, according to the Department of Justice.

“A presidential pardon is ordinarily a sign of forgiveness and is granted in recognition of the applicant’s acceptance of responsibility for the crime and established good conduct for a significant period of time after conviction or release from confinement,” the Justice Department states. “A pardon is not a sign of vindication and does not connote or establish innocence.”

“For that reason, when considering the merits of a pardon petition, pardon officials take into account the petitioner’s acceptance of responsibility, remorse and atonement for the offense.”

If pardoned, people must still disclose the past conviction when required but can also disclose a pardon has been granted. A pardon will restore some of a person’s rights, but not those that are dictated by the state, such as the ability to hold public office or vote.


D'Souza has never once indicated that he wasn't guilty of the crime he was convicted of.  His whine is that he was targeted for selective prosecution because he's a conservative.  But his defense team presented zero evidence of that in court.


http://www.businessinsider.com/dinesh-dsouza-innocent-campaign-finance-fraud-2014-3

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza insisted on Friday he is innocent of campaign finance fraud charges brought against him by a federal grand jury in late January. However, D'Souza was far less eager to discuss his personal life and current marital status.

"I've pleaded not guilty. And yes, I'm innocent," D'Souza said in a brief interview with Business Insider at the Conservative Political Action Conference.


Trump knows exactly what he is doing.  Playing reality t.v. with his base and saying fu to the rest of the country.


tjohn said:
Trump knows exactly what he is doing.  Playing reality t.v. with his base and saying fu to the rest of the country.

Correct. 

Is there even anything to discuss? 

If you're a Trump deplorable a pardon is a given. It has nothing do to with "justice", righting a wrong or an interpretation from the Department of Justice.


yahooyahoo said:
http://www.businessinsider.com/dinesh-dsouza-innocent-campaign-finance-fraud-2014-3

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza insisted on Friday he is innocent of campaign finance fraud charges brought against him by a federal grand jury in late January. However, D'Souza was far less eager to discuss his personal life and current marital status.
"I've pleaded not guilty. And yes, I'm innocent," D'Souza said in a brief interview with Business Insider at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

I should have written that since his conviction, I'm not aware of him ever suggesting he didn't do what he was convicted of.  He tried to claim innocence when he was charged, but he seems to have changed his tune since to one of selective prosecution.


D'Souza blames his conviction on selective prosecution. He hasn't exactly embraced the idea that it was his fault.

tjohn is right, Trump is playing to his base.


The  fact that he PLEAD GUILTY should be at the forefront of any discussion.


As a matter of fact, he claimed no one had ever even been indicted for what he did.

He also claimed he was threatened with another charge which would result in a five year sentence  not one year which is why he 'voluntarily' pleaded guilty.

How true all this is I don't know, but it should not simply be ignored.


BCC said:
As a matter of fact, he claimed no one had ever even been indicted for what he did.
He also claimed he was threatened with another charge which would result in a five year sentence  not one year which is why he 'voluntarily' pleaded guilty.
How true all this is I don't know, but it should not simply be ignored.

 Whether it's true or not it is certainly not unusual. Selective prosecution is a valid defense. Did he raise it? How did the Court rule?

Guilty almost always result from "plea bargains" where the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser offense to avoid trial on a more serious offense.


LOST said:


BCC said:
As a matter of fact, he claimed no one had ever even been indicted for what he did.
He also claimed he was threatened with another charge which would result in a five year sentence  not one year which is why he 'voluntarily' pleaded guilty.
How true all this is I don't know, but it should not simply be ignored.
 Whether it's true or not it is certainly not unusual. Selective prosecution is a valid defense. Did he raise it? How did the Court rule?
Guilty almost always result from "plea bargains" where the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser offense to avoid trial on a more serious offense.

 he did raise it. And he presented zero evidence to the court


Despite these rumblings and D’Souza’s own motion to dismiss the indictment for selective prosecution, brought by his prominent defense lawyers, Benjamin Brafman and Alex Spiro, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman rejected D’Souza’s motion. Judge Berman concluded that there was no evidence to support D’Souza’s allegations.

https://abovethelaw.com/2014/05/selective-prosecution-or-equal-justice-what-kind-of-example-does-dinesh-dsouza-set/


it should also be noted that D'Souza is a habitual liar. So anything he says should be considered in that context. 


ml1 said:
it should also be noted that D'Souza is a habitual liar. So anything he says should be considered in that context. 

 Now I understand the pardon. Kindred spirits



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