Question: Does Hunter need to found guilty to be granted a pardon? Just curious because the case may not be resolved by Jan 2025.
Remember the deal Justice was ready to make with Biden before the judge said no go. Hunter would have been excused from all future crimes..
> Question: Does Hunter need to found guilty to be granted a pardon? <
No. Recall that Ford pardoned Nixon before Nixon was convicted of any crime.
Nixon was never charged much less convicted of anything. Ford pardoned him. I presume Biden could do the same, particularly since Hunter has been charged so the pardon could be specific.
There is no Constitutional requirement of conviction in order to get a federal pardon, and many Presidents have pardoned people who were never convicted (or even indicted).
However, the standard Federal pardon process, administered by the DOJ Pardon Attorney, is limited to people who were convicted and have completed their sentence. The Pardon Attorney process can provide commutations, not pardons, for those who have uncompleted sentences.
There are some states that do legally limit pardons to people who have been convicted.