title:  The White House Has Issued An Official Response To ‘Making A Murderer’ Petition For Release
text: After the release of Making a Murderer by Netflix, people have been utterly mortified by the giant spotlight that s been shown on our criminal justice system. In this particular case, the criminal justice system in Wisconsin.After Steven Avery was cleared of any wrong-doing after a conviction of rape in 1985, he attempted to file a lawsuit against those who wrongfully accused him and purposefully put him into prison. However, the tables were turned once again when instead of getting the justice he deserved, he, alongside young Brendan Dassey, were accused and convicted for their alleged involvement in the murder of Teresa Halbach. The documentary series on Netflix is horrifying to watch, because it shows how vindictive the officers and lawyers involved in the case were to make sure Avery was put back into prison.A  We the People  petition was created on the White House website to ask the Obama administration to pardon Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. The petition read:Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey should be given a full pardon by President Obama for their wrongful conviction in the connection to the murder of Teresa Halbach.Based on the evidence in the Netflix documentary series  Making a Murderer , the justice system embarrassingly failed both men, completely ruining their entire lives.There is clear evidence that the Manitowoc County sheriff s department used improper methods to convict both Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey.This is a black mark on the justice system as a whole, and should be recognized as such, while also giving these men the ability to live as normal a life as possible.And because of the clear outpouring of support in favor of this petition, an official response has been given by the White House:Thank you for signing a We the People petition on the Teresa Halbach murder case, currently featured on the  Making a Murderer  documentary series. We appreciate your interest in this case.To best respond to your petition, we should go over what exactly presidential pardoning power entails.The U.S. Constitution grants the power of clemency to the President: The President   shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States. This clemency authority empowers the President to exercise leniency towards persons who have committed federal crimes. Under the Constitution, only federal criminal convictions, such as those adjudicated in the United States District Courts, may be pardoned by the President. In addition, the President s pardon power extends to convictions adjudicated in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and military court-martial proceedings. However, the President cannot pardon a state criminal offense.Since Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are both state prisoners, the President cannot pardon them. A pardon in this case would need to be issued at the state level by the appropriate authorities.While this case is out of the Administration s purview, President Obama is committed to restoring the sense of fairness at the heart of our justice system. That s why he has granted 184 commutations total   more than the last five presidents combined   and has issued 66 pardons over his time in office. They also exhibited how many sentences have been commuted by President Obama   far more than any president in recent history. They added:This Administration has taken a number of important actions to reduce the federal prison population in keeping with the President s continuing efforts to enhance the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system at all phases and to better address the vicious cycle of poverty, criminality and incarceration that traps too many Americans and weakens too many communities. These include:In 2014, President Obama also issued an Executive Order creating a Task Force on 21st Century Policing that produced a concrete blueprint for cities and towns seeking to put in place new strategies to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve while enhancing public safety. (The Task Force s Final Report is available here.)And he has met with Americans across the country who are working to improve the criminal justice system, from law enforcement officials working to lower crime and incarceration rates, to former prisoners who are earning their second chance. Last summer, he became the first sitting president to visit a federal prison. And he continues to work with Congress to pass meaningful criminal justice reform that makes the system more cost-effective, fairer, and smarter, while enhancing the ability of law enforcement to keep our communities safe.Thanks again for raising your voices. We hope you ll continue to participate on the platform.It s unfortunate that because Avery and Dassey are state prisoners they cannot be pardoned by the president. It s also unfortunate that they are in Wisconsin with the equally as corrupt Gov. Scott Walker who refuses to pardon the men. Walker s press secretary issued the cop-out response, stating:Those who feel they have been wrongly convicted can seek to have their convictions overturned by a higher court.It s not looking likely for justice to be served for Avery and Dassey, but one can still hold out hope that their convictions for their alleged involvement will be overturned.Featured image via Netflix