The potential for a former President to subject a pardon to the blended martial arts fighter, at present going through tried homicide expenses, entails advanced authorized and political issues. Presidential pardon energy, whereas broad, is usually exercised in the direction of people convicted of federal crimes. Velasquez’s expenses, nevertheless, stem from a state court docket case in California, putting a limitation on presidential intervention. A pardon’s applicability is usually confined to federal offenses, excluding state-level violations.
The importance of such a pardon lies not solely in its potential to change the course of a high-profile authorized case but additionally in its potential ramifications for the notion of justice and the applying of the legislation. Traditionally, presidential pardons have been used for varied functions, together with reconciliation and to appropriate perceived injustices. On this occasion, the pardon might be considered as an act of clemency or, conversely, as an intervention that undermines the state’s authorized proceedings. The political context, together with the connection between the previous President and figures throughout the MMA group, would undoubtedly issue into public notion of the choice.