Biden Issues Pardons for Six Individuals, Including Some With Drug Offenses
Written by SOURCE on January 1, 2023
President Biden on Friday granted full pardons to six individuals who had already completed sentences for their offenses.
CNN reports the individuals were granted clemency through a “deliberative process” that was coordinated closely with the Department of Justice. The list of those pardoned include five people who were convicted of drug or alcohol offenses: Charlie Byrnes Jackson, 77, Gary Park Davis, 66, Edward Lincoln De Coito III, 50, John Dix Nock III, 72, and Vincente Ray Flores, 37.
The sixth person, Beverly Ann Ibn-Tamas, now 80, was convicted of second-degree murder for killing her husband 47 years ago. Ibn-Tamas was pregnant at the time of the incident, and later testified that her husband had been abusing her.
“Today, President Biden is granting six full pardons for individuals who have served their sentences and have demonstrated a commitment to improving their communities and the lives of those around them,” the White House said in an official statement.
“President Biden believes America is a nation of second chances, and that offering meaningful opportunities for redemption and rehabilitation empowers those who have been incarcerated to become productive, law-abiding members of society.”
The news come a few months after President Biden announced pardons for thousands of people convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law.
In October, Biden’s administration confirmed that approximately 6,500 people convicted of simple possession of marijuana from 1992 to 2021 would be pardoned. Thousands of others who received the same conviction in the District of Columbia also received pardons, with Biden encouraging governors across the country to allow pardons for those convicted on state charges.
