Since taking office for a second time, President Donald Trump has issued a significant number of pardons, some of which have sparked controversy, and others which have spurred surprise.
Among the latter category is Trump’s recent decision to grant clemency to a Florida shark diver who was convicted of wrongfully freeing marine wildlife that was actually part of a federal research project, as the New York Post reports.
Tanner Mansell, 31, was informed of his good fortune in late May, roughly five years after he was alleged to have engaged in the conduct at issue.
Mansell was accused of cutting a longline administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which allowed 19 sharks, as well as a giant grouper, back into the ocean to swim freely.
Also pardoned by Trump over the incident was John Moore, Jr., a shark-diving charter boat captain for whom Mansell worked, who was also convicted for having freed the marine life they believed had been caught up in an illegal fishing line.
Notably, as soon as the men cut the line, they reported the situation to state wildlife officials, but they were later charged with theft by federal prosecutors, who declared that the lines belonged to a man licensed by the government to conduct research.
A jury convicted both men, and they lost their attempts at an appeal, and though they did not receive prison time, they were required to pay a hefty fine, and their new felony status prevented them from voting, owning guns, or freely traveling abroad, as NBC News noted.
Pardon yields surprise, relief
Discussing the strange circumstances surrounding the legal trouble he faced, Mansell stated, “I had no idea that this could be possible, you know, that you could have a permit to kill all these sharks. In our mind, the entire time, we thought we were uncovering a crime rather than committing a crime.”
As such, the news that Trump granted a pardon in the case came as a blend of surprise, relief, and vindication rolled into one.
“We were really surprised to get the pardon. It wasn’t really discussed by my lawyers because it was so far down the line,” Mansell said.
The young man added that he received the clemency news as he was boarding a plane, stating, “I was getting a call from my lawyer, and I answered, and he says, ‘Well, I’ve got good news for you, You just got a full presidential pardon.’ I was speechless. I couldn’t even say thank you. I just soaked it in.”
Underscoring his gratitude, Mansell said, “I’m just so grateful. I have said thank you every step of the way. Words can’t explain it. I know that the White House took a look at this, and they decided it was worth it. And I got President Trump’s signature.”
Moving forward
Now that the aforementioned ugly chapter in misplaced prosecution has come to an end, Mansell is looking forward to an unfettered future.
“The felony is fully forgiven, so now I can vote, and I can own a firearm, from what I understand. And most importantly, it expedites getting travel visas for my work in conservation,” he said, with obvious relief and optimism.
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Author: Sarah May
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