Court order filed to officially release Leonard Peltier

FARGO (KVRR) – An executive order that commutes the life prison sentence of Leonard Peltier has been officially filed with the U.S. Clerk of Court in Fargo.

Peltier’s surprise commutation was announced by former President Joe Biden, just minutes before Biden’s term concluded Monday. It allows Peltier to serve the remainder of his sentence on “home confinement” and is effective on February 18, 2025.

Commutations differ from presidential pardons.  A pardon grants full clemency for a conviction. Commutations reduce sentences, but convictions still stand.

Peltier was convicted in the 1975 killings of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, during a standoff on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. His 1977 trial was held in Fargo.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has said given the “horrific nature and circumstances” of Peltier’s crimes, his release would represent an affront to the rule of law.

Family members say Peltier plans to reside in Belcourt, North Dakota after his release.