Hiring a hitman is legal now.
The seven offenses in question: distributing narcotics, distributing narcotics by means of the Internet, conspiring to distribute narcotics, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiring to commit computer hacking, conspiring to traffic in false identity documents, and conspiring to commit money laundering
A judge bypassed the jury and prosecutor and sentenced him as if he hired hit men and admitted doing so. The sentence upgrade was based on a preponderance of evidence, whereas they would have had to proven beyond a reasonable doubt had he been charged.
Framing this as judicial activism is false. Many sentencing arrangements include - with the agreement of the defendant (since it is their rights in this case) - to have other related activities factored in exactly this manner.
It happens all the time in pleas and diversion agreements, so don’t frame it as a reckless lone judge going off the reservation.
To be fair - he was not pardoned for that, he could still be charged for it.
He was only pardoned for crimes related to drugs.
do you know that is actually the case ? i've been trying to find the text of the pardon and haven't been able to yet. can only find Trump's description of it as "full and unconditional"
edit: i see your other comment with the context
They unfortunately have not released the text yet.
It should eventually pop up here: https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-recipients
(among other places)
loading story #42794632
He was never tried for that. Don't believe the disinformation.
blatant entrapment and gaslighting for more than a year by law enforcement dedicating 24h to it.
the real criminals for that prank were never even tried.
Looks like the "real criminal" was charged.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/silk-road-drug-vendor-w...
wake me up when you get a cop working for you for over a year just to convince you that you have to hire his friend to kill your other employee