By Himanshu Ojha, Marcus Stern and Robbie Ward
Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour's grants of commutations or pardons to more than 200 prisoners, all but eight in his final days in office, disproportionately benefited white offenders among a predominantly black prison population, a Reuters analysis found.
Barbour, a former Republican National Committee chairman, stirred an uproar in Mississippi last week by the surprise grants of clemency, which numbered far more than any of his recent predecessors' in a state where law and order are hallmarks of political rhetoric.
The list included full pardons for four convicted murderers and an armed robber who worked at the governor's mansion on prison work release. Most of the pardons were granted to convicts who had completed their prison sentences.
Mississippi's attorney general has filed a complaint alleging that 156 of the pardons were unconstitutional. A state judge has scheduled a hearing for Monday.
Overlooked in the controversy has been the racial composition of the list of inmates and ex-convicts Barbour pardoned. Barbour granted 222 acts of clemency in his tenure to 221 individuals: one convict's sentence was initially suspended in 2008 and he then received a full pardon last week.
Readers now know that five inmates became trusties with Barbour and the range of convicted crimes by the five prisoners includes murder. Not to excuse other serious categories of crime, the pardons by the governor are alarming for many reasons.
Those people who suffered the initial victimization are being victimized again, including those jurors who were called upon to render a verdict at the end of a trial.
Over two hundred prisoners may receive some form of pardon-ship, which according to Barbour is based on the recommendations by the state Parole Board. The suspension of jail time is one option; a full pardon the other. Both options make a mockery of citizens' call to serve as a jurors, believing their duty to be fair in judgement of evidences - to say the least.
That an elected official is granted authority to intervene in the judiciary process when he is no longer accountable is a form of lawlessness. Barbour's actions make a mockery of any understanding of our legal house and our sense of mercy for all affected by individuals who commit crimes.
Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour's grants of commutations or pardons to more than 200 prisoners, all but eight in his final days in office, disproportionately benefited white offenders among a predominantly black prison population, a Reuters analysis found.
Barbour, a former Republican National Committee chairman, stirred an uproar in Mississippi last week by the surprise grants of clemency, which numbered far more than any of his recent predecessors' in a state where law and order are hallmarks of political rhetoric.
The list included full pardons for four convicted murderers and an armed robber who worked at the governor's mansion on prison work release. Most of the pardons were granted to convicts who had completed their prison sentences.
Mississippi's attorney general has filed a complaint alleging that 156 of the pardons were unconstitutional. A state judge has scheduled a hearing for Monday.
Overlooked in the controversy has been the racial composition of the list of inmates and ex-convicts Barbour pardoned. Barbour granted 222 acts of clemency in his tenure to 221 individuals: one convict's sentence was initially suspended in 2008 and he then received a full pardon last week.
Readers now know that five inmates became trusties with Barbour and the range of convicted crimes by the five prisoners includes murder. Not to excuse other serious categories of crime, the pardons by the governor are alarming for many reasons.
Those people who suffered the initial victimization are being victimized again, including those jurors who were called upon to render a verdict at the end of a trial.
Over two hundred prisoners may receive some form of pardon-ship, which according to Barbour is based on the recommendations by the state Parole Board. The suspension of jail time is one option; a full pardon the other. Both options make a mockery of citizens' call to serve as a jurors, believing their duty to be fair in judgement of evidences - to say the least.
That an elected official is granted authority to intervene in the judiciary process when he is no longer accountable is a form of lawlessness. Barbour's actions make a mockery of any understanding of our legal house and our sense of mercy for all affected by individuals who commit crimes.
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