Overview
- President Donald J. Trump issued the pardon on November 7, lifting all penalties for Michelino Sunseri, according to his attorneys at Pacific Legal Foundation.
- A federal magistrate found Sunseri guilty in September for leaving the Garnet Canyon Trail to descend via the Old Climber’s Trail, a violation that carried up to a $5,000 fine or six months in jail.
- Prosecutors in October proposed dismissing the case if Sunseri completed 60 hours of community service and a wilderness stewardship course, a deal the judge questioned before the pardon mooted further proceedings.
- Reporting and FOIA records showed the National Park Service sought to back away from the case while the Department of Justice continued the prosecution to trial in Jackson, Wyoming.
- The prosecution drew national attention as an example of overcriminalization, spurred congressional scrutiny, and coincides with filmmakers progressing on a 2026 documentary about the saga.