The Mayor of the District of Columbia may grant pardons and respites for offenses against the late corporation of Washington, the ordinances of Georgetown and the levy court, the laws enacted by the Legislative Assembly, and the police and building regulations of the District. He shall commission all officers appointed under the laws of the District, and shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

(R.S., D.C., § 6; June 20, 1874, 18 Stat. 116, ch. 337, § 2; June 11, 1878, 20 Stat. 103, ch. 180, § 2; Apr. 28, 1892, 27 Stat. 22, ch. 55; 1967 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 401, 81 Stat. 951.)

1981 Ed., § 1-311.

1973 Ed., § 1-220.

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 4002 of Fiscal Year 2003 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-453, July 23, 2002, 49 DCR 8026).

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.