John R. Knock, 73, also serving life on a nonviolent marijuana charge, was already rejected by President Barack Obama but tried again with Mr. Trump. “It’s going to be head-scratchers mixed in with the ones that look good,” said Mr. Ring, himself a former federal inmate. Using the power of clemency strictly on “blatantly political” cases would hurt the institution, Mr. Ring said. Although more pardons are expected in the coming weeks, criminal justice activists are not encouraged by Mr. Trump’s track record. The latest group of pardons now puts him second to George H.W.

Source: New York Times December 28, 2020 20:37 UTC