Outgoing Mississippi Governor
takes end-of-tenure pardons to the extreme.
It has been common practice for outgoing presidents and governors to pardon certain convicted individuals, usually in cases where there is documented evidence of good-conduct and where the people were charged with white collar crimes.
Not so in Mississippi.
Last weekend, outgoing Governor Haley Barbour pardoned four convicted murderers who had worked at the governor’s mansion. According to this article in The Washington Post:
While Barbour’s office hasn’t responded to messages about the pardons, he told the AP in 2008 that releasing the trusties who live and work at the mansion is a tradition in Mississippi that goes back decades...
The Barbour administration did not publicize the pardons, which became public when family members notified the media. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s office released copies of the pardons Monday afternoon…
The WAPO article goes on to note:
The pardons outraged victims’ relatives. Democratic lawmakers called for an end to the custom of governors’ issuing such end-of-tenure pardons.
The Washington Post article highlights some of the murderers who were pardoned by Barbour including David Gatlin, who killed his estranged wife, Tammy, in 1993 and wounded her long-time friend Randy Walker.
Walker’s mother, Glenda Walker, said Monday that Gatlin shot his estranged wife while she was holding their young baby, then shot her son in the head.
“He left that little baby on his dead mother’s body,” Glenda Walker said. “It was a horrendous murder.”
Many people have questioned the legitimacy of end-of-tenure pardons. Should the executive branch have the right to override decisions made by the judiciary?
These pardons in Mississippi strongly support the need to end this practice.
________________________________________________________
Update: January, 11, 2012
According to this AP article, a Mississippi judge has temporarily blocked Governor Haley’s end-of-tenure pardons.
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Cenk Uygur
Oryoki Bowl
Robert Greenwald
Frank Michels
Kent Pitman
markinjapan
Salon.com
Comments
it's every bit as bad no matter which party is in office - whether its barbour pardoning 4 murderers, or bill clinton releasing 400 inmates on his last day in office, including prominant campaign contibutors serving time for financial crimes
.