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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Dominic Pezzola of Charlotte is a free man Tuesday after President Donald Trump commuted his prison sentence for his actions during the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Trump also pardoned nearly 1,500 others convicted in relation to January 6th.
One of the most infamous videos from January 6th shows Pezzola using a police shield to break open a window into the Capitol. Video showed Pezzola stealing the shield from a Capitol Police officer earlier in the day.
“So this is January 6th. These are the hostages. Approximately 1,500 for a pardon. Full pardon,” President Trump said holding the executive order in the Oval Office Monday night.
President Trump signed the order commuting Pezzola’s 10-year sentence and those of 13 others and pardoning every single other person convicted of actions on January 6th. That includes Cody Mattice of Greece and James Mault of Brockport, whose records show they got out of prison last year.
“So this is a big one,” President Trump said. “We hope they come out tonight, frankly. They’re expecting it.”
The Federal Bureau of Prisons said Pezzola was released Tuesday.
News10NBC’s Berkeley Brean went to the house Pezzola lived in before his arrest. The woman who came to the door said, “We are not together. He is not coming here. Please leave me alone.”
To understand the difference between a commutation and a pardon, Brean spoke with two experts.
Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “What’s the difference between a commutation and a pardon?”
Shawn Donahue, political science, University at Buffalo: “Well one of the things is a pardon would more or less mean that you were never convicted.”
Donahue explained further, “A commutation would be that your conviction still stands but your punishment is lessened. Usually, that would mean that if you’re in prison you would probably be let out of jail.”
Brian Kalt, constitutional law, Michigan State University: “So pardon is the fullest use of the president’s clemency power. Basically, a commutation reduces or ends someone’s criminal sentence. So it lets them out of prison basically.”
That’s what happened with Pezzola. He got a 10-year sentence but was let out of prison Tuesday. The president’s power to pardon is limitless.
Shawn Donahue: “The court really said the only real check on the pardon power really would be impeachment of the president.”
By commuting his sentence, Pezzola still has the felony on his record. But the president reserved his right to change that.
President Trump: “The commutations would be the ones. We’ll take a look. Maybe it will stay that way or it will go to a full pardon.”
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