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    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #1

    Jan 12, 2012, 08:26 PM
    Pardon me..
    Hello:

    Does a governor have the absolute power to pardon? I think he does.

    excon
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
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    #2

    Jan 12, 2012, 08:44 PM
    In Illinois we are taking the power away from the Governor, too many of ours were pardoning each other. The last two are making really nice license plates. In the USA the President can grant a pardon for a federal crime. Governors grant for the crimes within their state. Liitle know fact most state pardons are granted after the person had already served his time.
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #3

    Jan 12, 2012, 08:49 PM
    I do believe they can only pardon someone who has made application to for a pardon, But yes in the states I know of, it is completely up to them.
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #4

    Jan 12, 2012, 08:57 PM
    Hello guys:

    Well, I read further, and the Padre is right.

    "SECTION 124.

    ...but no pardon shall be granted before conviction; and in cases of felony, after conviction no pardon shall be granted until the applicant therefor shall have published for thirty days, in some newspaper in the county where the crime was committed, and in case there be no newspaper published in said county, then in an adjoining county, his petition for pardon, setting forth therein the reasons why such pardon should be granted."

    Apparently, Barbour didn't follow the law, and that's why the Democrat Attorney General is opposed...

    Like ballenger says, most of the people Barbour pardoned were already OUT of prison.

    excon
    talaniman's Avatar
    talaniman Posts: 54,325, Reputation: 10855
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    #5

    Jan 12, 2012, 10:34 PM
    200 pardons is a lot to do in secret.
    tomder55's Avatar
    tomder55 Posts: 1,742, Reputation: 346
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    #6

    Jan 13, 2012, 04:20 AM
    I am off the Barbour bandwagon.

    Each state has it's own laws.

    The Governors of most states have the power to grant pardons or reprieves. In 9 states there is a pardon board that exclusively grant all state pardons.
    In some states both the Governor and a board decides .

    In Illinois we are taking the power away from the Governor, too many of ours were pardoning each other.
    Not only that; George Ryan commuted all death sentences .
    talaniman's Avatar
    talaniman Posts: 54,325, Reputation: 10855
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    #7

    Jan 13, 2012, 06:12 AM
    Commuted, not pardoned. They are looking for 4 murderers they let loose in Mississippi.
    speechlesstx's Avatar
    speechlesstx Posts: 1,111, Reputation: 284
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    #8

    Jan 13, 2012, 08:49 AM
    According to Barbour, "“My decision about clemency was based upon the recommendation of the parole board in more than 90 percent of the cases.” Some of those pardoned worked as trusty in the governor's mansion and it is a long time southern tradition to pardon those.

    Not arguing for it, just passing along info.
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #9

    Jan 13, 2012, 01:01 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by speechlesstx View Post
    Not arguing for it, just passing along info.
    Hello again:

    I'M arguing for it.. Barbour is NO bleeding heart liberal. If HE can find it in his heart to pardon people, I'd think the rest of the country would agree..

    Oh, how wrong I am. When polled, 84% of the people WANT the pardons reversed.

    excon
    speechlesstx's Avatar
    speechlesstx Posts: 1,111, Reputation: 284
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    #10

    Jan 13, 2012, 04:02 PM
    I'd have to have more info before I can vote one way or the other but with what I have I don't see the big deal. Seems like a political and media-fueled reaction to me.
    tomder55's Avatar
    tomder55 Posts: 1,742, Reputation: 346
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    #11

    Jan 13, 2012, 04:51 PM
    One of these skunks drove 9 hours and then shot his wife who was holding their baby child at the time.

    I don't think it is political .But if we are talking politics I would remind everyone of the political hay that GHW Bush got when he made ads about someone Dukakis had pardoned.

    If I am critical of Bubba Clintoon's pardons ,I cannot dismiss these .

    Barbour at the end gave pardons to 41 murderers ,rapists ,and child molester perverts. We aren't talking pot smokers here.
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #12

    Jan 13, 2012, 07:57 PM
    Hello tom:

    If one concentrates on what an inmate DID, NOBODY would get pardons... But, this isn't about that. They've DONE their time. They're already OUT. The public isn't in any danger because of the pardon. It just gives the convict a chance to get a job and maybe an apartment..

    excon
    tomder55's Avatar
    tomder55 Posts: 1,742, Reputation: 346
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    #13

    Jan 13, 2012, 08:23 PM
    That may be some of them ;but a judge blocked the release of 21 of them . 26 of the people granted pardons clemency etc were still in custody .

    5 of the pardoned prisoners have been released,4 are convicted murderers.
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #14

    Jan 13, 2012, 08:27 PM
    Hello again, tom:

    In other words, a pardon is special, so felons need not apply.

    excon
    tomder55's Avatar
    tomder55 Posts: 1,742, Reputation: 346
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    #15

    Jan 14, 2012, 04:56 AM
    SOME felons need not apply if I am the one deciding . Some victims are forever victimized .


    Edit

    Turns out that most of the pardons bypassed the State Constitutional requirement of publishing a public notice for the request of clemency. This is an important requirement as it gives time for public comment . In the case I mentioned about the domestic abuse murder ,the guy shot another man who barely survived the encounter. That vicitim was blindsided by the pardon .Does he not have a right to comment prior ? If this was a parole case they would've given him the right to testify. The cold blooded murderer got the Governor's attention by serving the Governor his suppers.
    That guy must've done one heck of a job waiting on Barbour's table !
    speechlesstx's Avatar
    speechlesstx Posts: 1,111, Reputation: 284
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    #16

    Jan 16, 2012, 08:52 AM
    I still haven't read up on the facts of those pardoned, but Barbour did respond...

    Barbour told Fox News that any problem with paperwork was an accident on the part of corrections officials, who needed to send the notices out earlier to get them published in newspapers on time. But he defended the pardons.

    "I understand and recognize that these families and had love ones who were the victims of terrible crimes ... and I sympathize with the fact that this hurts them, that they lost somebody like that and that they're not going to forget it and they want vengance," Barbour said on Fox News' "Special Report."

    "But what the state does and has done ... most people in Mississippi are Christians or profess to be Christians, and we believe in forgiveness and we believe in second chances," he said.

    Barbour told the Associated Press in an earlier interview that it's a tradition in Mississippi for governors to free the trusties who worked at the Governor's Mansion. Four inmates freed this past weekend are convicted killers who worked as trusties.

    And the former governor said he's not concerned that the freed trusties might harm anyone. "I have absolute confidence, so much confidence, that I'd let my grandchildren play with these five men," the Republican said.

    He said he regretted he did not more quickly explain that most of the people who received clemency were already out of prison and some had been for years.

    "Let's get the facts straight. Of the 215 who received clemency, 189 were not let out of jail. They were already out of jail," Barbour told the AP.

    Barbour said he didn't anticipate the pardons would become centered on politics, though he expected some backlash.

    "What I didn't think was that politicians would go out and tell the public we let 200 people out of the penitentiary. I didn't anticipate this would be all about politics," said Barbour, who left office earlier this week.
    Carry on...
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #17

    Jan 16, 2012, 09:20 AM
    Hello Steve:

    He sounds like a compassionate conservative. They're kind of out of favor, ain't they?

    excon
    tomder55's Avatar
    tomder55 Posts: 1,742, Reputation: 346
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    #18

    Jan 16, 2012, 09:25 AM
    Barbour can dismiss the procedures all he wants ;but he can't discount the fact that he showed less respect to the victims and their families than a routine parole hearing .

    I'm not impressed that the qualifications for special release was that he had the murderers working for him as servants and got to know them . I'm sure there are many more deserving inmates in the system who pose less of a threat with their release .
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #19

    Jan 16, 2012, 09:28 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by tomder55 View Post
    I'm sure there are many more deserving inmates in the system who pose less of a threat with their release .
    Hello again, tom:

    So, we agree. LOTS more should have been released.

    excon
    tomder55's Avatar
    tomder55 Posts: 1,742, Reputation: 346
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    #20

    Jan 16, 2012, 09:41 AM
    If he was so sure that the people of Mississippi were so forgiving... and that there would be no political backlash ,then perhaps he should've pardoned them before he ran for reelection before his 1st term ended .

    Yes there are surely others that can and probably should be released .I'd rather 1000 drug users released than a cold blooded killer .

    By the way showing his forgiveness included the 9 people executed under his watch.

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