Here’s The White House’s Response To The ‘Making A Murderer’ Petition

For the fans of ‘Making A Murderer’ out there (like ourselves), here’s some big news: the White House have just weighed in on the case.

If you’re unfamiliar with the show and you’re thinking about watching it, beware you’re entering spoiler territory. 

The show follows the shambolic trial and incarceration of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who may or may not be guilty of the murder and mutilation of Teresa Halbach.

While the show goes to great lengths to keep the argument balanced, it seems the majority of viewers leave the show believing that Avery is innocent. So much so that a petition for the release of the 53-year-old has gained over 129,000 signatures since being published on December 20, 2015.  

Now the White House has commented on the petition and they’ve made it clear that there is nothing they can do about it. 

The statement essentially explains how pardons work, with the most crucial point here being that “the President cannot pardon a state criminal offence”. Find the full statement, click here.

This means that Avery (and his nephew Brendan) have no chance of being pardoned by the president. A petition would be better sent to the governor of Wisconsin, who actually has the power to free prisoners of an offence against the state.

But given Avery’s history with state officials, this outcome wouldn’t appear very likely.

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