What the Annual Presidential Turkey Pardon Teaches Us About Pardons: A Minnesota Pardon Attorney Explains
The first president to save a turkey from being eaten on Thanksgiving was Abraham Lincoln. His son Tad, pleaded with his dad to save the turkey. And Mr. Lincoln complied. It was not until the late 20th century that the pardon tradition on Thanksgiving became an annual thing. But it has now become ensconced in tradition.
Minnesota Turkey Connection
Minnesota has a special connection with the 2024 turkey pardon. The turkey flock that was pardoned came from a turkey farmer in Northfield, MN. Following the turkey pardon, the turkeys will be finding a permanent home in Waseca, MN.
The Nearly Impossible Federal Pardon
The pardon of the turkeys is a symbolic act. The president actually has the power to pardon people. But sadly, the pardon power is not used very frequently. Some people with old criminal records in Minnesota think pardons are impossible and do not even try to clean their records. If all you did was look at the federal pardon process, that mindset would make sense. There are thousands of petitions from around the nation submitted every year and usually only a handful of people are granted federal pardons. And the handful are frequently politically connected or have some extraordinary story. They are not everyday people.
The More Realistic Minnesota Pardon
The Minnesota process is very different. The rate of pardons has been roughly 40%. And that number is likely to go up in future years. In 2023, the process was revamped to allow for non-unanimous votes of the pardon board to grant a pardon. Previously, you could only receive a pardon a with unanimous vote. Only the future will tell how the new process will work in practice. But it would not be surprising if the rate of pardons climb above 50% in the future.
Conclusion
If you are seeking a pardon, you want an attorney who is knowledgeable, experienced, and well versed in the law on the law for pardons and expungement. There are many attorneys in the state of Minnesota who say they do pardons, but don’t practice in the area enough to know the intricacies of the law and how to utilize that to their client’s advantage. Contact Jack Rice Defense today for a free consultation. 651-447-7650
Peter Lindstrom
Peter is the head of the appellate and expungement departments at Jack Rice Defense. The Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed a felony conviction because of the brief Peter drafted. He has successfully expunged cases involving challenging issues with DWI, felony, and violence against family member cases. At the district court level, he has tried two felony jury trials to verdict, and successfully dismissed a felony gun case on 4th amendment grounds. Peter is particularly known for his intelligence, creativity, and legal acumen.
