Elon Musk has joined calls for President Trump to pardon ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020. A Trump pardon would end Chauvin’s 20-year sentence on federal convictions for violating Floyd’s civil rights, but Trump does not have the power to commute Chauvin’s 22.5-year sentence on state murder charges.
Non American here, how does that work?
The president can pardon him on federal charges. He still faces the 22.5 years on state charges. Basically, he was convicted of murder in Minnesota, and then civil rights violations in federal court.