which branch of government has the power to pardon criminals
Pardon The pardon power of the President extends only to an offense recognizable under federal law.[29] However, the governors of most of the 50 states have the power to grant pardons or reprieves for offenses under state criminal law. In other states, that power is committed to an appointed agency or board, or to a board and the governor in some hybrid arrangement (in some states the agency is merged with that of the parole board, as in the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board).[30]
Capital punishment by the United States federal government It can be handed down for treason, espionage, murder, large-scale drug trafficking, or attempting to kill a witness, juror, or court officer in certain cases; but all inmates currently under federal death sentences were condemned for aggravated murder. Executions performed by the federal government are infrequent compared to those performed by state governments.[1][2]