Definition of Pocket Pardon
What does the term "pocket pardon" mean in the world of politics? What is meant by a "pocket pardon"?
![The desk of the President of United States - Pocket Pardon](https://www.davemanuel.com/images/pocket-pardon.jpg)
When Presidents issue pardons, there are no explicit instructions in the Constitution stating that they need to publicize the names of the people that they are pardoning.
So, in theory, a President could issue "secret pardons" that would only surface if:
1) The person that is pardoned is charged with a federal crime in the future
2) The President, or a future President, decides to make the pardons public
So, in theory, a President could issue a "pocket pardon" to anybody, including himself.
This has never been done before (that anybody knows of), and scholars have been debating the legality of the "pocket pardon".
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