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Politics and Government News
Elena Moore, NPR

Biden grants 6 full pardons as the year comes to a close

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President Biden issued full pardons to six individuals on Friday, with the majority convicted of drug- and alcohol-related crimes decades earlier when they were young.

The individuals granted clemency had served sentences and "demonstrated a commitment to improving their communities and the lives of those around them," a White House official said in a statement, adding, "These include individuals who honorably served in the U.S. military, volunteer in their communities, and survived domestic abuse."

The decision comes on the last business day of the year and follows an executive order in October that pardoned thousands of individuals convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law and D.C. statute. In April, Biden also granted clemency to three individuals and granted 75 commutations.

Five out of the six individuals pardoned on Friday were convicted of federal drug and alcohol crimes — Charlie Byrnes Jackson, 77, Gary Park Davis, 66, Edward Lincoln De Coito III, 50, John Dix Nock III, 72, and Vincente Ray Flores, 37.

Jackson, Davis, De Coito and Flores all committed their crimes when they were between the ages of 18 and 23.

In particular, Flores, who was charged with consuming ecstasy and alcohol while serving in the military, went on to complete a rehabilitation program within the Air Force — eventually returning to active duty, where he remains today.

Biden also pardoned Beverly Ann Ibn-Tamas, 80, who was convicted of murdering her husband when she was 33. Ibn-Tamas was pregnant at the time and later testified that her husband had been abusing her when the incident took place.

During her trial, the court failed to seek expertise from mental health experts on the physiological effects of domestic abuse on individuals. Ibn-Tamas was sentenced to one to five years in prison.

"Ms. Ibn-Tamas's appeal marked one of the first significant steps toward judicial recognition of battered woman syndrome, and her case has been the subject of numerous academic studies," the White House said in a statement.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.