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Presidential Clemency Record

Andrew Zabavsky

Pardon

  /   2025–Present

Record at a Glance

Clemency type
Pardon
Presidential term
2025–Present
Federal district
District of Columbia
Offense
Conspiracy; obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting
Sentence
48 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release (September 12, 2024)
Current status
After the pardon, the D.C. Circuit vacated the judgment and remanded with instructions to dismiss the case as moot; D.D.C. dismissed it February 25, 2025. Reporting in July 2025 said Zabavsky retired from MPD in good standing after proposed termination proceedings were halted and accrued back pay/benefits were approved.

Original Case

A jury convicted Zabavsky in December 2022 of conspiracy and obstruction of justice concerning the investigation of the fatal Karon Hylton-Brown pursuit. He was not convicted of Sutton's murder count. The warrant records concurrent 48-month sentences, three years of supervision and a $200 assessment.

Clemency

Trump granted Zabavsky a full and unconditional pardon on January 22, 2025. It ended the 48-month prison sentence and related supervision in the covered case; the later dismissal as moot followed the pardon rather than a merits ruling that reversed the convictions.

Trump Connection

The D.C. Police Union advocated jointly for Zabavsky and Sutton, and Trump granted both pardons two days after taking office. Trump said the officers needed a “break” and described them as having been jailed for “going after a criminal.” Zabavsky’s record requires an important distinction from Sutton’s: he was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction, not murder, despite the union’s broader claim that both men had been convicted of murder.

Sources

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