Judge to weigh fate of inmates pardoned in Mississippi

Four convicted murderers were among nearly 200 pardoned by former Miss. governor A judge could determine whether the pardons are valid The pardons have provoked outrage among victims' families (CNN) -- Four convicted murderers who were released from prison earlier this month after receiving pardons are among those who could have their fate determined in a Mississippi court Monday. In his final days in office, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour pardoned the four convicted murderers -- David Gatlin, Joseph Ozment, Charles Hooker and Anthony McC
ray. All four were released from prison January 8. They were serving life sentences and worked as inmate trusties at the governor's mansion, the Mississippi Department of Corrections said. Trusties are inmates who can receive additional rights through good behavior. In all, Barbour approved full pardons for nearly 200 people, including 14 convicted murderers, according to documents released by the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. The pardons have provoked outrage among the families of the victims and state officials. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='politics/2012/01/18/mxp-barbour-defends-pardons.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120118041243-mxp-barbour-defends-pardons-00002117-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand15Store=mObj; Pardoned convicts 'redeemed themselves' var currExpandable="expand25"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/01/16/pkg-savidge-governor-mansion-murderers.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120117021044-pkg-savidge-governor-mansion-murderers-00000409-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand25Store=mObj; Pardoned Mississippi murderer speaks On January 11, Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green granted state Attorney General Jim Hood's request for an injunction forbidding the release of any more prisoners pardoned or given clemency by Barbour. Green issued the injunction because it appeared some pardons did not meet the procedural requirement that pardon requests must be published 30 days prior to being granted. At the hearing, the inmates must prove they met the 30-day publication requirement. Barbour said January 11 that some people misunderstood the clemency process. "The pardons were intended to allow (the inmates) to find gainful employment or acquire professional licenses as well as hunt and vote," Barbour said. "My decision about clemency was based upon the recommendation of the Parole Board in more than 90 percent of the cases." At the Monday hearing, the judge can void the pardons and send the inmates back to prison, take a ruling under advisement or free them, Hood has said. The pardons are "a slap in the face to everyone in law enforcement and Gov. Barbour should be ashamed," Hood said earlier this month. Mississippi's new Gov. Phil Bryant has ended the trusty program at the governor's mansion. "As governor, Bryant first discontinued the practice of inmates spending the night on the mansion grounds and then the tradition of pardoning those individuals," said the governor's spokesman, Mick Bullock, last week. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

Judge to weigh fate of inmates pardoned in Mississippi 2012-01-22T23:15:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Undercover 999