Beg Your Pardon

“I believe at its heart, America is a nation of second chances. And I believe these folks deserve their second chance,” the president said in a video message.

So, how can he do that? Executive clemency. It’s one of the most unlimited powers granted to the president in the Constitution. The president is given the ability to pardon or commute sentences for “offenses against the United States,” which means at the federal level.

Commutation won’t wipe the slate clean for someone convicted of a federal felony. It simple reduces the length of the sentence that he or she is currently serving.

A pardon, on the other hand, is presidential forgiveness. It’s generally granted after someone has finished serving time. An offender can apply for a pardon five years after he or she has been released. When people are pardoned, they have their civil rights — such as the right to vote, serve on a jury or own a firearm — restored. This does not mean, however, that their records are erased or expunged.

Supporters of National Security Agency data leaker Edward Snowden launched a campaign Wednesday urging President Obama to pardon Snowden from a possible 30-year prison sentence. Snowden has been exiled in Russia since making off with a trove of NSA files in 2013, and he spoke from there via video link to his supporters Wednesday. The campaign coincides with the release of an Oliver Stone biopic titled, Snowden.

What do you think?  Should Snowden receive an official pardon?  Read the petition, and the Presiden'ts response here.

Explain your answer.