Senaca Bartlett
Commutation by Barack Obama
The Case
Facts on file from the DOJ Office of the Pardon Attorney
- Offense
- Possess with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine")
- District
- Western District of Wisconsin
- Original Sentence
- 210 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Terms: Prison sentence commuted to expire on January 19, 2019, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment)
- Clemency Type
- Commutation — reduces sentence but conviction stands
Case Overview & Context
Plain-English summary of the case and the legal context for this type of clemency
Case Overview
Senaca Bartlett was convicted in the Western District of Wisconsin of possessing with intent to distribute five grams or more of crack cocaine. Bartlett received a sentence of 210 months (17.5 years) in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The clemency action commuted the prison sentence to expire on January 19, 2019, conditional upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
Pardon Context
A commutation reduces or eliminates the remainder of a prison sentence but does not erase the underlying conviction or restore civil rights like voting or gun ownership. The recipient remains subject to the terms of supervised release and any conditions imposed, such as the drug treatment requirement in this case. The presidential clemency power under Article II of the Constitution is absolute and unreviewable by courts. The president's personal reasoning for this specific grant is not publicly documented.
AI-generated summary based on public clemency records. The president's specific personal reasoning for this grant is not publicly documented.
Constitutional authority: Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution grants the President “Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States.” This power is absolute for federal crimes — Congress cannot override it, and no judicial review is required. The president is not required to publish reasons for individual grants.