Last month, Attorney General Garland appointed Elizabeth G. Oyer to lead the Office of the Pardon Attorney. Notably, Oyer has previously served as Senior Litigation Counsel to the Federal Public Defender for Maryland and has extensive experience representing criminal defendants. The appointment was welcomed by clemency advocates, especially given the backlog of over 18,000 pending clemency applications.
A couple weeks after Oyer’s appointment, President Biden announced a slate of clemency grants, including 3 pardons and 75 sentence commutations. While many of the recipients had already been released from prison under the CARES Act, many of the other recipients were serving lengthy sentences for non-violent drug offenses. The Administration has suggested that more clemency grants are coming.
Click here to read the DOJ’s press release regarding the appointment of the Pardon Attorney.
Click here to read the White House’s list of clemency recipients.
Click here to read about the process for applying for clemency.