Pardons are not, nor have ever been, about undoing a false conviction based on later evidence. You don't need a pardon in that case; you need an appeal which w

Pardons are not, nor have ever been, about undoing a false conviction based on later evidence. You don't need a pardon in that case; you need an appeal which will overturn your conviction. That's not to say a pardon couldn't be used for this purpose; but the judicial branch can ordinarily handle it itself. Pardons are usually an executive power to to absolve someone (clear their record). Commutation is similar, where you do not negate the guilt but reduce or eliminate the punishment. Both are tools used for various reasons. In Canada, many minor crimes are pardoned years after a criminal has been reformed to clear their record. IMO this is in general a good thing, but then there are cases like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_James_(ice_hockey)#Pardon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_James_(ice_hockey)#Pardo... Pardons and commutes are also used to balance out a flawed justice system or one that has its hands tied (e.g. with mandatory minimums). This can include people being sent to prison for years for minor drug crimes, etc.