Gov. Haley Barbour approved full pardons for nearly 200 people

[jjenny]

They can be returned into custody if they commit another crime? He didn't pardon them for potential future crimes? Wow.
:floorlaugh:

 

[Hopeful One]

This REALLY makes me sick. This guy should be ashamed of himself. What was he thinking??? I don't understand why he did this or how it will benefit him, because obviously he did it for his own benefit.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

It is scary that we, as a country and a people, have given ONE MAN such power. He should be made to explain WHY he did this and what his thought process was. He shouldn't be allowed to slink away (probably snickering as he does) and not have to face the backlash of his actions.

What will he say, feel, think if one of these "pardoned" murderers kills again once out?

Scary times.....................

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

"The 26 people released from custody due to clemency is just slightly more than one-tenth of 1 percent of those incarcerated."


There was only 26 that were incarcerated that were released. The other 174 were already out, they had already served their sentence and the governor pardoned them, so they could get jobs, and hunting licenses. But the 174 were already done serving their entire sentence.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/11/justice/mississippi-pardons/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

[Velouria]

SO, these four or five convicted murderers have to contact authorities daily...as I'm sure they will continue to do, as they are all now automatically decent law-abiding citizens...cuz the outgoing governor said so.

Seriously, how many of these guys are going to just cut and run? I'd bet...all of them.

And that is precisely what they did!

Just watching them cover this story on HLN a few minutes ago, and those released murderers who are supposed to check in every day on the status of their cases? Gone, vanished, off the grid, every one of them! :furious:

 

[not_my_kids]

And that is precisely what they did!

Just watching them cover this story on HLN a few minutes ago, and those released murderers who are supposed to check in every day on the status of their cases? Gone, vanished, off the grid, every one of them! :furious:

Well, color me surprised...NOT.

i figured that they would do this, because now that they are out, to me, there was no chance that they would hang around and wait to see if the courts said they had to go back. None of them are going to willingly go back to prison. I bet Barbour is laughing his <self snip> head off.

 

[nomoresorrow]

Think someone needs to look into GHB's finances (follow the money), just sayin....

 

[Reader]

Attorney general: Mississippi may order nationwide manhunt

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/12/justice/mississippi-pardons/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Jackson, Mississippi (CNN) -- Mississippi's attorney general said Thursday that the state may have to issue a nationwide manhunt after four pardoned murderers left jail and "hit the road running."

"We'll catch 'em. It's just a matter of time," Attorney General Jim Hood told CNN.

The four were among nearly 200 convicted criminals to whom Gov. Haley Barbour granted clemency or a pardon in a final act before leaving office this week.

The governor's actions have set off a legal firestorm in Mississippi.


More at link....

 

[jjenny]

Such law abiding citizens as those pardoned killers didn't show up? Who would have thunk?
:floorlaugh:

 

[my_tee_mouse]

http://www.clarionledger.com/

Lots of info in the Jackson news. We in Mississippi are as baffled as everyone else.

List of those pardoned
http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/ed_pubs/pubs/pardons_barbour_1.10.2012.pdf

And this former Miss'ssippi girl who still refers to the state as "back home" is baffled, confuzzled, perplexed, and bamfloozled as well!

 

[my_tee_mouse]

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2...f-violent-criminals-sets-up-miss-legal-battle

"The statement, reported by WTVA of Tupelo, went on to say 13 of the 26 inmates released from custody cost the state a lot of money due to their medical expenses and can be returned to custody if they commit another crime."

Yea, they cost the state a lot of money, AND THEIR CRIMES COST THEIR VICTIMS A LOT OF GRIEF!

That statement just makes my blood boil!

And doing the detective work and prosecution of FUTURE CRIMES will cost a lot of $$ as well.

"if they commit another crime."
Translation: "Don't worry, if we can prove they are guilty of another crime, we can go through a long, drawn-out process to prove it and bring them back in." Never mind it means more victims.

Sigh. I defend and defend my beloved Mississippi against all kinds of accusations, including stupidity. And then something like this happens, giving all the naysayers tons of "I told you so" ammunition.

 

[wfgodot]

No fan at all of Haley Barbour (whose entry into the national political scene, ironically enough, came at a time when Republicans were bellowing about being "tough on crime" and then reaping the voter benefits of this alleged truth), but almost all governors do issue clemencies and pardons, particularly at the end of their term in office. I may have missed this in a post above, but does anyone know how Barbour's record in issuing these compares with other governors? Because it would seem, at least numerically speaking, that he went waaay above average in their issuance. But - perhaps not. The issue needs to be put in context to see if Gov. Barbour is really that much of a scoundrel, or if his actions were in keeping with the status quo. (Which of course would also be disturbing.)

 

[jjenny]

No fan at all of Haley Barbour (whose entry into the national political scene, ironically enough, came at a time when Republicans were bellowing about being "tough on crime" and then reaping the voter benefits of this alleged truth), but almost all governors do issue clemencies and pardons, particularly at the end of their term in office. I may have missed this in a post above, but does anyone know how Barbour's record in issuing these compares with other governors? Because it would seem, at least numerically speaking, that he went waaay above average in their issuance. But - perhaps not. The issue needs to be put in context to see if Gov. Barbour is really that much of a scoundrel, or if his actions were in keeping with the status quo. (Which of course would also be disturbing.)

I certainly don't think it's average. Pardoning convicted killers? I'd think that is pretty unusual. When he pardons a convicted killer, this convicted killer will be able to go buy a gun if he so desires.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

No fan at all of Haley Barbour (whose entry into the national political scene, ironically enough, came at a time when Republicans were bellowing about being "tough on crime" and then reaping the voter benefits of this alleged truth), but almost all governors do issue clemencies and pardons, particularly at the end of their term in office. I may have missed this in a post above, but does anyone know how Barbour's record in issuing these compares with other governors? Because it would seem, at least numerically speaking, that he went waaay above average in their issuance. But - perhaps not. The issue needs to be put in context to see if Gov. Barbour is really that much of a scoundrel, or if his actions were in keeping with the status quo. (Which of course would also be disturbing.)

And how many times does a judge step in and block the releases? I've never heard of a single time (that I can recall anyway).

 

[Monzoo]

No fan at all of Haley Barbour (whose entry into the national political scene, ironically enough, came at a time when Republicans were bellowing about being "tough on crime" and then reaping the voter benefits of this alleged truth), but almost all governors do issue clemencies and pardons, particularly at the end of their term in office. I may have missed this in a post above, but does anyone know how Barbour's record in issuing these compares with other governors? Because it would seem, at least numerically speaking, that he went waaay above average in their issuance. But - perhaps not. The issue needs to be put in context to see if Gov. Barbour is really that much of a scoundrel, or if his actions were in keeping with the status quo. (Which of course would also be disturbing.)

This is a good point. I'd love to see more statistics on this. In my reading, it seems that Haley Barbour may not have followed proper procedure on a number of these pardons. If I'm not mistaken, Mississippi law requires inmates to publish the fact that they are seeking a pardon -- I presume so that any victims of their crimes or other interested persons will have the opportunity to counter the application for pardon, if they wish.

I think that pardons, in a general way, can be a very good thing. Especially if they are used to correct injustices (or unjust punishments). But I think that in order to work correctly, they should be done in a fully transparent way.

I fear that a number of these may have been motivated by politics rather than justice, which is a shame.

 

[doubt]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/u...issippi-is-criticized-on-wave-of-pardons.html

the above article from nytimes talks about how barbour's move here has sort of ''broken the mold'' where pardons are concerned. it also cites the numbers of pardons granted by his predecessors.

 

[marauder]

This is what Republicans mean when they use phrases like "deregulation" and "smaller government."

 

[jjenny]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/u...issippi-is-criticized-on-wave-of-pardons.html

the above article from nytimes talks about how barbour's move here has sort of ''broken the mold'' where pardons are concerned. it also cites the numbers of pardons granted by his predecessors.

Thanks. Pretty clear that the number of pardons he issued, and who he issued some of these pardons to (convicted killers) are very unusual. I don't know what he is motivated by, but I fail to see how doing this can benefit him politically (especially if some of those pardoned by him commit another crime).

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Oh great. Now it's a "suthun thang:"

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/pardon-me-is-southern-custom-behind-haley-barbours-clemencies/

And yet a good bit of the article is devoted to presidential pardons. But never mind that. It's only those stoopid suthnas that do this kind of thing. (Insert gagging, eye-rolling emoticon here).

We need to do away with the authority to pardon across the board at all levels of government. The only thing the president or governors should be able to pardon is the annual Thanksgiving turkey!!!

 

[kittykat1]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...ives-girlfriends/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

More details of the pardons.

"Barbour's more than 200 pardons have sparked national outrage, and among the most appalled are those who work with victims of domestic violence. "