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What do you mean "lightly?" He ran an illegal drug market and tried to assassinate a competitor. We gave him the punishment that society has determined one should receive for this. Revoking his punishment is "light."


The judge issued the punishment at their sole discretion. The legislature sets the laws often without any input from the constituency.

Meanwhile a sizable campaign has materialized around this case and many people do feel he has done enough time and should be free without any restrictions


That almost sounds like what commutation is for.

It's certainly not what pardons are for.


> many people do feel he has done enough time and should be free without any restrictions

This could be said for any number of people rightfully detained by the US for crimes of incredible magnitude.


Which is why "jury nullification" still exists. Just because a law exists does not mean the public good is automatically improved by blithely enforcing it with zero tolerance.


Jury nullification isn’t granted existence. It’s not an express power, it’s just a natural consequence of the jury system.

It’s not possible to make it not exist.


Hence why, if DPR was going to get off somehow, a sentence commutation would have been better rather than an unconditional pardon. The latter implies he did absolutely nothing wrong, which hilariously runs counter to Trump's supposed tough on drugs and crime shtick he has.




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