Final answer:
The President's judicial powers include reprieves, pardons, clemency, commutations, and amnesty, all related to altering the consequences for those convicted of crimes, with distinctions in their scope and application.
Step-by-step explanation:
Several types of judicial powers are endowed to the President of the United States regarding the treatment of individuals convicted of crimes. While these powers are distinct, they all serve to alter or affirm the consequences assigned by the judicial system.
- Reprieve: A reprieve is a temporary suspension of the execution of a sentence, particularly the death penalty, while awaiting the outcome of a legal appeal or other review.
- Pardon: A pardon is the complete forgiveness of a crime and the cancellation of the relevant penalty; it is an act that absolves an individual of blame and any further punishment.
- Clemency: Clemency is a more general term that encompasses both pardons and reprieves as well as commutations; it is a form of mercy or leniency.
- Commutation: Commutation is the reduction of a criminal sentence; this can range from lessening the length of a prison term to altering a death sentence to life imprisonment.
- Amnesty: Amnesty is a broader form of pardon often applied to a group of individuals, such as those who avoided the draft during the Vietnam War, and it often carries with it a policy imperative or recognition of a broader justice issue.
These powers allow the president a significant degree of discretion within the federal legal system, and with the exception of cases of impeachment, they are largely unfettered by the powers of the other branches of government. Governors share similar powers within the context of their own states, but they can only influence state-level crimes.