A presidential pardon is an executive order granted by the President of the United States that absolves a person from criminal liability.In the United States, the power to grant pardons is vested in the President by Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the President “shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”
Presidential pardons are typically granted in cases where the President believes that the person being pardoned has been unfairly convicted, or that the punishment they received was excessive.Pardons can also be granted for humanitarian reasons, such as when a person is terminally ill or has a young family that would be severely impacted by their imprisonment.