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发帖数: 901 | 1 In a stunning goodbye, exiting Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour pardoned 210
state inmates, just moments before he left office this morning. Nearly all
the orders were "full, complete and unconditional" pardons. A few were
suspended sentences, mostly for medical reasons.
Mississippi's Secretary of State released the long list this afternoon.
The timing was perfect for the Barbour administration to avoid discussing
the issue. Calls to Barbour's people were answered by the staff of newly
sworn-in Gov. Phil Bryant. Bryant's office respectfully declined comment.
While it's difficult at first glance to know the back-story of each and
every pardon, what's most striking is the number of pardons for violent
crimes - nearly a dozen for murder, and two for statutory rape. Both men and
women were pardoned, most of them convicted on drug, DUI, burglary and
armed robbery charges.
Barbour was already under fire for pardoning five prisoners who were
assigned to cook and clean at the governor's mansion in Jackson. Four of
those men were convicted of murder, and 40-year-old David Gatlin had just
been denied parole just two weeks before. In years past, the governor has
explained that it is tradition to pardon prisoners assigned to the mansion.
Gatlin was sentenced to life in prison for killing his estranged wife in
1993, and shooting Randy Walker, her male friend, in the head. Walker
survived, and his wife Crystal Walker told Jackson's Clarion Ledger that
they're now both afraid for their lives.
"On parole he'd at least have to check in and have some supervision," she
said Sunday. "Now he could live beside us, or we could run into him at
Walmart. You're always looking over your shoulder."
Barbour remains popular in Mississippi, and even critics say it was his
right to issue the pardons, and he probably had his reasons. Barbour will be
forever credited with helping Mississippi quickly and efficiently recover
from Hurricane Katrina, in stark contrast to the recovery efforts in
neighboring Louisiana. |
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