Note: I edited this post to read that Peltier was freed from prison. He’s not “free” in that he is serving in home confinement.
In the final minutes of the Biden presidency, the presidential pen set Leonard Peltier free from prison. From NBC News:
Joe Biden, in one of his final acts as president Monday, commuted the life sentence of Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and of escaping from federal prison.
Peltier, who is 80 years old, has been imprisoned for almost five decades. He has been in declining health in recent years from diabetes, hypertension, partial blindness from a stroke and bouts of Covid.
In a statement, the White House said the commutation will enable Peltier to spend his remaining days in home confinement, “but will not pardon him for his underlying crimes.”
Peltier had recently been denied parole.
I posted on this case back in 2017 as President Obama left office. Obama chose not to offer clemency. Now, as then, I have mixed feelings based on elements of the crime that — thanks to decades of encrusting mythologies — are unknowable. I believe that Peltier was a participant in the firefight that killed FBI agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler. If that’s what it was and no more, clemency is probably in order. I can’t get on board if Peltier really did, as alleged, walk down a hill and shoot Williams in the face with an AR-15 as he lay helpless against his car, then delivering the coup de grace to Coler. There’s a difference between hot and cold blood.
Regardless, here we are, close to the end of the road on a story that became a lightning rod in 1975 and has remained one for 50 years.
Ronald Williams and Jack Coler were wounded in a firefight, then executed at close range with shots from an AR-15.
Will says
No Parole [–No Clemency, No Pardons–] for Cop Killers.
https://www.odmp.org/noparole
Ugly Hombre says
It was in the news today that Chris Wray former FBI director who resigned days before Trump returned to power- was outraged that Biden pardoned Peltier
https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/2025-01-20/bidens-fbi-director-expressed-vehement-opposition-to-peltier-commutation
Not sure if that is true but he was against it.
Josie Wilson says
How does the attitude toward Peltier’s clemency square with the Trump pardons of people who attacked and iinjured poiice on January 6?
JimC says
Blanket pardons are inherently flawed because by nature they don’t take into account the individual merits of a particular case. In my view, in the individual Jan. 6 cases that involved actions that injured police officers, those actors should have served their sentences. Regardless, the pardon power is virtually unlimited — the power of a king — and we have seen it exercised VERY broadly in the past six weeks.
Quixotic Mainer says
I’ve had an opportunity to talk with a few guys who were boots on the ground that fateful day. I think that situation has never been accurately talked about in a widely distributed manner, with a polarized agenda driving either one version or the other.
But anyone who has worked a large unruly crowd before knows there are pockets that are brutal that are separated by only a few yards at times from folks who are just there and being carried along on the tide. There’s so many little micro scenes within a crowd, and determining who did what turns into the world’s worst game of “Where’s Waldo” with even decent cameras.
I think you’re spot on with your take though.
JimC says
I am extremely leery of crowds for many reasons — this being one of them. Things can get out of hand very readily. People behave in crowd — or riot — settings in ways that they never would without the impetus of the crowd itself. And those swept along in the tide often pay a price for just being there.
Quixotic Mainer says
Absolutely. Sir Terry Pratchett put it as; “You can determine the intelligence of a mob by dividing the lowest IQ present by the number of participants”.
Clyde says
Not sure how I feel about this one? I know that innocent men have been executed and murderers walk free sometimes. In different cases evidence was manufactured and in others it was suppressed. Like it or not, he received a presidential commutation so that’s that.
David Wrolson says
Obviously off-topic and back to the California Fires.
Is there anyway to find out if Frederick Russell Burnham’s home-which somebody here tracked down I think awhile back-in the Pasadena/Altadena area survived?
JimC says
You will probably not be surprised to hear that I had the same thought. From my reading of the map, the Burnham house is south of the fire perimeter.
Ugly Hombre says
https://gazette.com/news/courts/rebecca-lavrenz-jan-6-conviction/article_bbe521a6-5014-11ef-8ddb-9b6bd03ff846.html
The problem is with J/6 that there was a massive witch hunt and track down of anyone who was there- and the imprisonment of many with out due process for years in horrible conditions. The Bidon DOJ/FBI paid small attention to crime over all and hunted down political enemies of the Democrats with a rabid fever. Raid Trumps home while the Vegetable collected 10% and had classified documents in the trunk of his gas powered hotrod. Jack Smith’s mode of operation and mindset Bolshevik bull chit- he even looked like the original Chekist soab. lol
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e8/ca/fd/e8cafd6a3880af6e073ea6ffb6ef523a.jpg
That said anyone who attacked police officers should do the time if the facts are correct but the bull chit spouted about J/6 was biblical. The only person killed there was Ashli Babbit. No police were killed by the rioters. Selective enforcement of the law was the Biden M.O. beginning till end.
Peltier is old and sick 80 years old and I don’t have a problem with him being allowed to live out the rest of his life at home. Even though murder and assault are not the same.
Not by a damn sight..
LordYam says
There were no good people on January 6th; they were all murderous savages trying to overthrow the government because they couldn’t admit trump was beaten legitimately. The people who got prosecuted deserved it
Jean Nave says
The quote by Sir Terry Pratchett is priceless and I agree.
William C. Morton says
As the manifest truths about the Biden Administration’s activities become known (will we ever know even half of t?) I sit in amazement holding my head and saying, “Did they really do all that shit? Yes. And right here in River City too!” follows in sad acknowledgement. How do we come to grips with such a recent past as this? I walked outside, saluted Old Glory and muttered, “Never again!” But am I sure of that?
Ugly Hombre says
Agree-the Biden/Harris Debacle did great massive damage to our Republic- not sure it can be repaired, not sure if we will ever know the truth. I’m also amazed gob smacked at the bat chit insanity that they inflicted on our country. It was a giant MKUltra type mind fook. They even got some segments of the American people to tolerate sex change operations for little kids etc. The list seems to go on fore ever.
Horrific even “Brave New World” and “1984” did not take it that far.
“Preemptive Pardon” lol
Had Harris and the nitwit from Minnesota got in. Stick a fork in it.
Good thing is we know have a chance to correct course.
People who live for 15- 20 more years may see the truth come out. If the first amendment still holds.
It will take years and volumes of books.
LordYam says
Are you for real? Trump did far more damage and Biden inherited his mess. And now that Trump’s back he’ll continue raping the republic