Here's Why Kwame Kilpatrick Won't Get Clemency From Trump

Kwame Kilpatrick (Twitter photo)

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, 48,  is hoping for clemency from President Donald Trump, but that's unlikely.

Melissa Nann Burke of The Detroit News points out why:

• First off, while Kilpatrick has officially asked for clemency with the White House — a reduction of his sentence — he doesn't appear to meet the Justice Department's standards. 
• To date, he's only served five years of his 28-year sentence, and typically people serve at least half their sentence before getting clemency 
• Kilpatrick also has long maintained his innocence, and it’s rare that the Office of the Pardon Attorney grants clemency for convicts who haven’t accepted responsibility for their crimes, the experts say.

Then there's a pardon. He isn’t eligible for a pardon under the Justice Department's guidelines because he’s still serving a prison term.  A pardon absolves a person of guilt.