A #pardon is only necessary if a #conviction was made in a court or, in the case of #Nixon, federal charges were about to filed to send Nixon to prison.
Accepting the #Ford pardon implied an admission of guilt, as established in the Supreme Court's Burdick v. United States (1915) ruling. Nixon also publicly accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed regret. By receiving the pardon, Nixon was shielded from indictment and trial, meaning there was no conviction to pardon. #NewsRewind
The proceedings are set to begin at 9:30AM in Manhattan. Though the president-elect is expected to avoid #jail time, his #sentencing on 34 counts will formalize his status as a #felon & make him the first to carry that distinction into the White House.
Though #Trump will soon begin the #appeal process, the case will be concluded after sentencing, meaning it will no longer hover over him. But he will also be the first convicted #felon to be sworn in as president.
This week, Trump filed a civil action against the judge overseeing the case, challenging a pair of recent rulings that upheld his #conviction. Both rulings rejected Trump’s argument that, as a former & future president, he is entitled to #immunity.