The events of wednesday Jan 6, 2021 at the capitol hill have raised the question of whether the POTUS and a handful of politicians and prominent supporters can be charged with sedition, treasonable felony and inciting an insurrection ?
Five lives have also been lost. Can those that incited the protest on social media and physically at a political rally be charged with aiding and abetting murder ?
The US constitution provides that, “the president shall have the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”
The impeachment exception clearly shows that the founding fathers and framers of the constitution did not want to create a possibility of self pardon in cases of impeachment.
This decision is founded, and rightly so, on the principle of law encapsulated in the latin maxim,”nemo judex in causa sua” meaning ,”You cannot be a Judge in your own case”. This is intended to ensure fairness and Equality before the law.
A self-pardon power certainly stands the risk of being abused by a dishonest, corrupt, sociopathic and self serving leader. Hence, the rationale for the Constitution not granting that power to the President or Governors.
Pardons and Reprieves are expected to be considered and recommended outside of the orbit and influence of the beneficiary.
I hope we have heard the last of this ridiculous fantasy from the twilight zone and uncanny stories comics.
DrAlexanderGrey 