W. Puts on His Pardoning Hat

With nine months left in his reign (p)residency, George W. Bush is enjoying a tradition of office: rolling out presidential pardons to rogues, scoundrels, and in W.'s case Coke dealers, Heroin pushers, Crack sellers...

The W. pardons got off to a strange, if entertaining start when his initial list of pardon candidates included famed actor John Wayne, Senator Joseph McCarthy, clocktower shooter Charles Whitman and porn actor John Holmes. It seems that W. did not understand that his pardons were restricted to people with legal problems, and who are currently alive. After it was explained to W. that pardons could not bring people back from the dead, a new list was drawn up and has been captured by Mary Flood on her lawyering blog Legal Trade:

WASHINGTON - On March 24, 2008, President George W. Bush granted pardons to 15 individuals and a commutation of sentence to one individual. The individuals are listed below:

PARDONS:

William L. Baker Spokane, Washington
Offense: Distribution of a controlled substance, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(2); falsifying records, 21 U.S.C. §§ 827(a)(3), 843(a)(4).
Sentence: July 15, 1980; District of Wyoming; 24 months imprisonment, one year special parole.

George Francis Bauckham Oak Ridge, New Jersey
Offense: Unlawful detention, delay and secretion of mail by postal employee; 18 U.S.C. § 1703(a).
Sentence: May 16, 1958; District of New Jersey; five years probation and $100 fine.

Kenneth Charles Britt White City, Kansas
Offense: Conspiracy to violate federal and state fish and wildlife laws; 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Sentence: November 12, 1998; District of Kansas; three years probation and restitution of $8,250.

William Bruce Butt London, Kentucky
Offense: Bank embezzlement; 18 U.S.C. § 656.
Sentence: June 20, 1990; Eastern District of Kentucky; three years probation.

Mariano Garza Caballero Brownsville, Texas
Offense: Dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license; 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(1) and (2).
Sentence: November 1, 1984; Southern District of Texas; 34 days imprisonment, four years probation, and a $1,000 fine.

Anthony C. Foglio, Santee, California aka Tony Foley
Offense: Distribution of marijuana; 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
Sentence: October 15, 1996; Northern District of West Virginia; three years probation.

Marvin Robert Foster Boca Raton, Florida
Offense: False statement in connection with a Federal Housing Administration loan; 18 U.S.C. § 1010.
Sentence: January 19, 1968; District of Rhode Island; one year probation and a $3,500 fine.

Carl Harry Hachmeister Denton, Texas
Offense: Conspiracy (to commit wire and mail fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Sentence: January 22, 1985; District of Utah; three years probation and $39,330 restitution.

William Marcus McDonald Wetumpka, Alabama
Offense: Distribution of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, use of cocaine, possession of cocaine, use of marijuana; Article 134, U.C.M.J.
Sentence: May 2, 1984; U.S. Air Force general court-martial convened at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; four years confinement at hard labor, forfeiture of $300 pay per month for four years, reduction in rank to basic airman, and a bad conduct discharge.

Robert Michael Milroy Cinnaminson, New Jersey
Offense: Importation of heroin; 21 U.S.C. §§ 960(a)(1), 952(a), and 843(b).
Sentence: April 2, 1975; Eastern District of Virginia; seven and one-half years imprisonment, six years special parole, and three years probation.

Jerry Lynn Moldenhauer Colorado Springs, Colorado
Offense: Knowingly selling migratory bird parts in violation of Migratory Bird Treaty Act; 16 U.S.C. §§ 703 and 707(b).
Sentence: September 19, 1994; District of Colorado; three years probation and $1,000 fine.

Thomas Donald Moldenhauer Colorado Springs, Colorado
Offense: Knowingly selling migratory bird parts in violation of Migratory Bird Treaty Act; 16 U.S.C. §§ 703 and 707(b).
Sentence: September 19, 1994; District of Colorado; three years probation and $1,000 fine.

Richard James Putney, Woodbridge, Virginia
aka Richard James Putney Jr.
Offense: Aiding and abetting the escape of a prisoner; 18 U.S.C. §§ 752(a) and 2.
Sentence: September 16, 1996; Northern District of West Virginia; one year of probation and a $100 fine.

Timothy Alfred Thone Woodbury, Minnesota
Offense: Making a false statement to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to obtain a mortgage loan; 18 U.S.C. § 1010.
Sentence: September 18, 1987; District of Minnesota; two years probation, $1,500 fine.

Lonnie Edward Two Eagle Sr. Parmelee, South Dakota
Offense: Simple assault committed on an Indian reservation (misdemeanor); 18 U.S.C. §§ 1153 and 113(e), now 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(5), as re-numbered and amended.
Sentence: October 6, 1976; District of South Dakota; two years probation.

COMMUTATION:
Patricia Beckford Portsmouth, Virginia
Offense: Conspiracy and attempt to distribute in excess of 50 grams of crack cocaine, 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), 853, 855; unauthorized use of food coupons, 7 U.S.C. § 2024(b).
Sentence: April 27, 1992; Eastern District of Virginia; 276 months imprisonment; five years supervised release; $10,000 fine.
Terms of commutation: Sentence of imprisonment to expire on July 24, 2008; term of supervised release left intact and in effect with all its conditions.

The issue of the number of pardons handed out to people guilty of drug offenses was raised by one reporter who asked W., "Sir, are you pardoning these drug traffickers because they were former connections of yours?" To which W. replied, "Yeah." White House press secretary Dana Perino was quick to run over and explain that W. had thought the reporter asked, "Would you have pardoned Jesus?"