The Confession Clause: Accepting a Pardon is an Admission Guilt

A presidential pardon carries more weight than the flourish of a pen; it functions as both a legal absolution and a tacit moral statement. According to the landmark Supreme Court case Burdick v. United States (1915), accepting a pardon "carries an imputation of guilt and acceptance of a confession of it." This precedent clarifies that a pardon is not a …