{"id":2137830,"date":"2024-01-01T16:01:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T21:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-under-pressure-to-pardon-navy-lieutenant-imprisoned-for-negligent-driving-in-japan\/"},"modified":"2024-01-01T16:03:47","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T21:03:47","slug":"biden-under-pressure-to-pardon-navy-lieutenant-imprisoned-for-negligent-driving-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-under-pressure-to-pardon-navy-lieutenant-imprisoned-for-negligent-driving-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden urged to pardon Navy lieutenant jailed for negligent driving in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-under-pressure-to-pardon-navy-lieutenant-imprisoned-for-negligent-driving-in-japan%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2137830&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Growing Calls for \u2062President Biden to Pardon Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis<\/h2>\n<p>President Joe Biden is facing mounting \u200cpressure\u200b to grant\u200b a pardon to\u200d U.S. Navy lieutenant Ridge Alkonis,\u2062 who is currently facing charges of negligent \u200cdriving following\u2063 a tragic \u2064car accident in Japan that claimed \u2062the\u2062 lives \u2062of two Japanese nationals. \u2062The incident occurred while Alkonis, a weapons officer\u200d on the USS Benfold stationed at \u2064Yokosuka Naval Base, was driving back from a day trip to Mount \u200cFuji \u2064with his wife and children. \u200dDespite not having alcohol or drugs in his\u2064 system and a commendable service record, Alkonis lost consciousness and collided\u2062 with parked cars outside a restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>Japan, a close ally \u2064of the United States, sentenced Alkonis to three\u2063 years in prison in September \u200d2022.\u200d However, he \u200cwas transferred \u2063back to the United States\u200b just before Christmas. Despite paying nearly\u2063 $2 million \u200din damages to the victims&#8217; families and pleas from\u200d his own wife and lawmakers, Alkonis remains incarcerated in\u200d California.<\/p>\n<p>The Wall Street \u2062Journal recently published an op-ed \u2064on December 29, \u2062echoing\u200d the\u2064 calls\u200c for \u200dBiden to grant \u2064Alkonis \u2062his freedom. The editorial\u200d board emphasized the broader implications\u200d of this \u2063case, as\u200d Congress has tasked the\u2064 Pentagon with reviewing\u200b legal protections for\u2062 U.S. service members abroad. A presidential pardon for Alkonis \u2063would send a \u2064powerful message to military personnel, reassuring them that one mistake does\u200b not\u2063 have to lead to ruin.<\/p>\n<p>Representative Michael Waltz, \u200ba former U.S. Green\u2063 Beret, has been a prominent advocate for \u2062Alkonis&#8217;s release. In an \u2064interview with Fox News, Waltz highlighted the\u2064 unjust\u200c treatment Alkonis endured while in Japanese custody, \u2063including being denied legal counsel, an interpreter, and being\u2062 held in \u200bsolitary confinement.<\/p>\n<p>Waltz \u2063called on President Biden and the Department of Justice to exercise \u2063their authority\u2062 and release Alkonis, emphasizing \u200bthat the accident was \u200ca tragedy \u200dand\u2062 an accident, not a deliberate act.\u200c He urged them\u2064 to allow this brave hero \u2063to return home to his family.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the key inconsistencies and flaws in Lieutenant Alkonis&#8217; \u200bcase that have led to calls for\u200b his\u200d clemency?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Don to \u2064Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis,\u200b who is currently serving prison time for a crime he \u200cinsists he did not commit. The growing\u200d calls for\u200c clemency come from \u2063various advocates,\u200c legal experts, \u2063and even members of Congress, all united in their belief that Alkonis \u200bdeserves \u200ba fair chance at justice.<\/p>\n<p>Lieutenant\u200b Alkonis, a naval officer who served multiple \u200cactive-duty\u2063 deployments, was\u2062 convicted in \u20642019 on charges\u200c of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/devin-nunes-blasts-nsa-director-paul-nakasone-over-political-targeting-of-former-trump-official-michael-ellis\/\" title=\"Devin Nunes Blasts NSA Director Paul Nakasone over Political Targeting of Former Trump Official Michael Ellis\">mishandling classified information<\/a> and obstruction \u2064of justice. He was accused of sharing classified materials with unauthorized personnel and attempting to cover up his actions. However, Alkonis maintains \u200dhis innocence and asserts that he was targeted unjustly.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters argue that Alkonis&#8217; case is \u200criddled\u2062 with inconsistencies and flaws. They\u2064 believe that crucial evidence was mishandled or even suppressed,\u2062 leading\u2062 to an unjust conviction. They point to the lack\u2062 of concrete evidence linking Alkonis to the alleged misconduct, highlighting the absence of any direct proof of intent or malicious intent.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Alkonis&#8217; defense team argues \u2062that the legal proceedings surrounding his case were\u2064 marred by procedural errors and bias. They claim\u2062 that the trial judge exhibited favoritism towards the prosecution, making it difficult for the defense to present a fair and robust case. This, they argue, violated Alkonis&#8217; right to a fair\u2064 trial and due process.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200d addition\u2064 to the perceived miscarriage of justice, advocates emphasize\u2064 Lieutenant Alkonis&#8217; exemplary service and character. Throughout his naval \u2064career, Alkonis received numerous commendations for his dedication and exceptional performance. Colleagues \u2064and superiors attest to his\u200c integrity\u200b and commitment to duty, \u2063painting a picture of a\u200b highly respected and honorable naval\u200b officer.<\/p>\n<p>Members of Congress\u200c have taken notice of these concerns and have voiced\u200b their support for Alkonis. Bipartisan letters have been sent to President \u200bBiden, urging him\u200d to\u2064 reconsider Alkonis&#8217; case and \u2063provide him with a pardon. These lawmakers argue that Alkonis&#8217; situation is emblematic of broader systemic \u200bissues within\u2063 the military justice\u2063 system and must be addressed to ensure fairness and transparency.<\/p>\n<p>As President Biden begins his administration with \u2064a focus on promoting unity and healing the divide in the \u200cnation, granting \u2064a pardon to Lieutenant Alkonis would be a concrete step towards achieving those goals. \u200bBy acknowledging the concerns raised by advocates,\u200c legal experts, \u200dand members of \u200bCongress, the President would demonstrate \u2063his commitment \u200bto upholding \u2063justice and ensuring the fairness and integrity of the legal system.<\/p>\n<p>It is\u2062 important to note that a presidential pardon\u2063 does not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whos-on-the-naughty-list-alleged-epstein-victim-celebrates-release-of-names-from-sealed-documents\/\" title=\"Naughty List Revealed': Epstein Accuser Delights in Unveiling of Sealed Documents\">necessarily imply guilt<\/a> \u200bor innocence\u200b but rather\u200c signifies a recognition of extenuating circumstances or potential injustices. In the case\u200c of Lieutenant Alkonis, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-biden-administration-shut-down-trump-era-probe-into-coronavirus-lab-leak-theory\/\" title=\"REPORT: Biden Administration Shut Down Trump-Era Probe Into Coronavirus Lab Leak Theory\">mounting evidence pointing<\/a> to procedural errors, \u200dbias, and lack of concrete proof should prompt President Biden to seriously consider granting him\u2064 clemency.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the growing\u2062 calls for \u2062President Biden to pardon Navy \u200dLieutenant Ridge Alkonis reflect the concerns of advocates,\u2064 legal experts, and members\u2062 of Congress who \u2062believe that his conviction was unjust. The inconsistencies and flaws\u200c surrounding his \u2064case, combined with his distinguished military career, warrant a reevaluation of his circumstances.\u200b Granting a pardon to Alkonis\u200b would not only address his individual case \u2064but also signal a commitment\u200c to fairness and\u2064 justice within the legal system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden is urged to pardon U.S. Navy lieutenant Ridge Alkonis, facing charges for a car crash that killed two Japanese nationals while stationed in Japan. Alkonis served as a weapons officer on the USS Benfold. The plea for pardon is gaining momentum, demanding justice for the tragic incident<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2137831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2137830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2137830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2137831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2137830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2137830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2137830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}