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Washington Post 8/21/99
An Exercise of Commutation
to
P
RESIDENT CLINTON earlier this
course of the crimes with which they were
month granted conditional commuta-
charged. The sentences were dramatically lon-
tions of the prison sentences or fines of
ger than a defendant today would receive under
16 Puerto Rican independence activists con-
the federal sentencing guidelines. Commutation
nected to a nationalist terrorist organization.
apparently enjoys wide support in Puerto Rico,
The move drew immediate fire from all sides. In
and Mr. Clinton's move has a precedent of sorts.
Puerto Rico, Mr. Clinton was criticized for the
Former president Jimmy Carter commuted the
conditions he attached to the clemency: that the
sentences of a group of Puerto Rican nationalists
men not associate with their former comrades
who shot up the House of Representatives and
and that they renounce violence and formally
one who tried to assassinate President Truman.
request early release. Meanwhile, the president
Though law enforcement officials-the FBI
also took fire at home for having been too soft.
quite strenuously-argued against the commu-
The beneficiaries of his act were terrorists, after
tations, the Justice Department institutionally
all. and cutting their sentences arguably implies
did not oppose it.
tdo much forgiveness for the acts for which they
The power to pardon and commute sentences
were convicted.
is one of the few absolute constitutional powers
The crimes these men committed were, to be
of the president. The use of this power has been
sure, serious. Most were convicted in the 1980s
somewhat out of favor in recent years. President
of seditious conspiracy and various armed rob-
Clinton has made particularly stingy use of the
bery and firearms charges. The group with
power, which in general probably deserves a
which they were associated, the Armed Forces
larger role in the criminal justice system than it
of National Liberation, was responsible for more
currently enjoys.
than 100 bomb attacks over a 10-year period,
This is a difficult case, one that pits real
and some of the prisoners also had explosives
counterterrorism concerns against the fact that
convictions.
those convicted received sentences that seem
Yet the sentences these people received do
hard to justify. Presidential commutation, partic-
seem excessive even considering the severity of
ularly in the conditional form in which Mr.
the crimes. Some received prison terms as long
Clinton acted, seems to satisfy nobody. But it
as 90. years, though nobody was hurt in the
also seems like an appropriate response.
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"ocrText": "Washington Post 8/21/99\nAn Exercise of Commutation\nto\nP\nRESIDENT CLINTON earlier this\ncourse of the crimes with which they were\nmonth granted conditional commuta-\ncharged. The sentences were dramatically lon-\ntions of the prison sentences or fines of\nger than a defendant today would receive under\n16 Puerto Rican independence activists con-\nthe federal sentencing guidelines. Commutation\nnected to a nationalist terrorist organization.\napparently enjoys wide support in Puerto Rico,\nThe move drew immediate fire from all sides. In\nand Mr. Clinton's move has a precedent of sorts.\nPuerto Rico, Mr. Clinton was criticized for the\nFormer president Jimmy Carter commuted the\nconditions he attached to the clemency: that the\nsentences of a group of Puerto Rican nationalists\nmen not associate with their former comrades\nwho shot up the House of Representatives and\nand that they renounce violence and formally\none who tried to assassinate President Truman.\nrequest early release. Meanwhile, the president\nThough law enforcement officials-the FBI\nalso took fire at home for having been too soft.\nquite strenuously-argued against the commu-\nThe beneficiaries of his act were terrorists, after\ntations, the Justice Department institutionally\nall. and cutting their sentences arguably implies\ndid not oppose it.\ntdo much forgiveness for the acts for which they\nThe power to pardon and commute sentences\nwere convicted.\nis one of the few absolute constitutional powers\nThe crimes these men committed were, to be\nof the president. The use of this power has been\nsure, serious. Most were convicted in the 1980s\nsomewhat out of favor in recent years. President\nof seditious conspiracy and various armed rob-\nClinton has made particularly stingy use of the\nbery and firearms charges. The group with\npower, which in general probably deserves a\nwhich they were associated, the Armed Forces\nlarger role in the criminal justice system than it\nof National Liberation, was responsible for more\ncurrently enjoys.\nthan 100 bomb attacks over a 10-year period,\nThis is a difficult case, one that pits real\nand some of the prisoners also had explosives\ncounterterrorism concerns against the fact that\nconvictions.\nthose convicted received sentences that seem\nYet the sentences these people received do\nhard to justify. Presidential commutation, partic-\nseem excessive even considering the severity of\nularly in the conditional form in which Mr.\nthe crimes. Some received prison terms as long\nClinton acted, seems to satisfy nobody. But it\nas 90. years, though nobody was hurt in the\nalso seems like an appropriate response."
}