You may have buggered up your cut and paste of Black's definition. It doesn't much matter. The Congress essentially pardons with Acts, while the president does something a lot easier and often more self-serving. [;^)
You may have buggered up your cut and paste of Black's definition.
It was not a cut and paste but typing what is in the book. The book used "greater than" and "less than" brackets which caused some content to be interpreted as unprinted invalid html code. I have replaced with curly brackets. Sorry about that.
Amnesty
Black's Law Dctionary, 11th ed.
amnesty. n. [16c] 1. A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of persons, usu. for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of persons who are subject to trial but have not yet been convicted {the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act provided amnesty for undocumented aliens already present in the country} • Unlike an ordinary pardon amnesty is usu. addressed to crimes against state sovereignty — that is to political offenses with respect to which forgiveness is deemed more expedient for the public welfare than prosecution and punishment. Amnesty is usu. general, addressed to classes or even communities. — Also termed general pardon.