Pardon

In the following press release on Tuesday December 23, 2008 the US Department of Justice that, amongst others, President George W. Bush had pardoned Issac Robert Toussie of Brooklyn, N.Y. for the offense of making False statements to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 18 U.S.C. § 1001; mail fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1341.He had been sentenced on Sept. 22, 2003 in Eastern Dist

President George W. Bush granted pardons Tuesday to 19 citizens charged with a variety of crimes

Kevin Lowry, ( head of the U.S. Pardon and Probation Department ), and Darren Kearns ( a higher level case Manager with the Minnesota Pardon and Probation ), extended an honored invitation to Dennis Fritz, to be the key-note speaker at the Department’s annual conference— at the Cragun’s Lodge and Resort on the Gull Lake, on September 24 and 25th of 2008.Upon Dennis’ arrival, the Pardon and

I love these necklaces by Dust Design Co. Rescued from vintage decanter bottles, they are given a new lease on life with the addition of some gold, silver, and brass (all salvaged as well!) chains. Quirky, funky, and fun...

Everyone knows that soon-to-be President Barack Obama is looking to add a puppy to his family. The puppy might just add a little ray of sunshine to the gloomy job of economic restoration that Obama faces in the next 4 years to come. Watch Obama endorse pet adoption: The only drawback of puppy adoption for Obama is that he thinks dogs from shelters might not be the best bet for his daughter’

PardonPower has been somewhat amused by the recent rash of stories related to the potential pardon of former Illinois Governor George Ryan (R). In the latest wave, state politicians of all sorts are expressing their support - or lack of support - for clemency. This was triggered when Senator Dick Durbin (D) indicated that he was thinking about supporting Ryan, then suggested he would not and then

Today, the typical presidential pardon is granted to someone who committed a crime some time ago, has served out their prison sentence (if any such time was required) and has taken care of all associated fines and penalties. The pardon thus has the effect of simply restoring the recipient to his/her civil rights - so they can vote, own a firearm, serve on a jury, etc. For this reason, the Wall Str

We’ve outlined some of many failures and lessoned learned in Edsel’s short production period in this week’s classic car history highlight, The Edsel – A Legacy of Failure. Comments (1); See All Posts … More: continued here Similar Posts: None Found

The Chicago Sun Times reports Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) has joined former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson (R) to support clemency for former Illinois Governor George Ryan. Amazingly, the story says nothing about the fact that Blagojevich has let thousands, that's right, thousands of clemency applications build up on his desk. And there has been much speculation about why he has neglecte

PardonPower visited with the New York City-based news program, The Takeaway, this morning for a nice, casual conversation with John Hockenberry about our favorite topic. To hear the audio, go here.

George W Bush is considering issuing pardons for US spies embroiled in allegations of torture just before he leaves the White House. Senior intelligence officers are lobbying the outgoing president to look after the men and women who could face charges for following his orders in the war on terrorism. Many fear that Barack Obama, who has pledged to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and put a

In an Editorial today, the Washington Post is calling on Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to pardon the Norfolk Four. It reports "four former Virginia attorneys general, from both parties" and two former FBI agents speaking "on behalf of themselves and 28 other retired agents who studied the case" have concluded the convictions were "a tragic mistake." Says the Post:Every now and again, the criminal ju

ABC News is reports U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo is "asking" President-Elect Barack Obama to pardon Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, two border patrol agents who were convicted in the 2005 shooting an unarmed drug smuggler and trying to cover up the crime (See our Pardon Watch List). In a letter to Obama, Representative Tancredo says:"These are the kind of men whose government failed and destro

Jeff Crouere of BayouBuzz.com reports "sources close to the Bush White House are reporting this morning that the President is considering commuting the sentence of former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards before his term ends on January 20. In fact, a decision may be made in the next few days." The 82-year old Edwards is serving a 10-year sentence, begun in October of 2002. His clemency application

A Wall Street Journal article here reviews recent event in Chicago, as they relate to a convicted felon and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. The piece notes Tony Rezko, recently convicted on 16 counts of influence peddling, is "one of the first Obama political boosters." He also faces trial in Chicago for a $10 million in business fraud and in Nevada for unpaid casino-gambling debts.

This is a little clip we were pointed to today, and whilst it is kind of funny, it also has some serious implications attached…. Dunno peoples thoughts on this in the USA, but it certainly doesn’t paint a good picture to the rest of us in Europe. Anyway, I see we have gone a slightly different direction [...]

Please pardon our dust, we’re currently deploying a pretty sweet upgrade to the site and ironing out a few issues. Some things may not work correctly at the moment. I’ll be posting more shortly on the changes to the site once we get everything the way we want it. Thank you for your patience!

This is track 5 on Nonstop New Wave Mix #22.Download

...while I do a little update here. Hopefully it won't take long.

Christopher Pittman shot and killed his grandparents in November of 2001. At the time, he was a sixth grader, weighed 90 pounds and stood five-feet tall. But Pittman did not go to trial until 2005, and stood before a jury as a six-foot tall, 16-year old. His lawyer noted that, at the time of the killing, a doctor had changed Pittman's prescription to Zoloft (a drug that is not approved for childre

Jim Sheridan and Ted Pins are longtime members of the state Board of Pardons and Parole. But it is now reported that they are resigning their positions out of "frustration" with respect to the inaction of Gov. Mike Rounds. The report notes at least 38 recommendations for clemency have been sent to the governor's desk since 2004 that have not yet been acted upon. Says Sheridan:People's lives are be

Ibrahim Eissa, the editor in chief of the newspaper Al-Dustour, recieved a presidential pardon earlier this week.He was sentenced to two months in prison last month after publishing articles in August 2007 speculating on the health of President Hosni Mubarak.In one article, Eissa stated:"The president in Egypt is a god and gods don’t get sick. Thus, President Mubarak, those surrounding him, and

Garage Voice - Pardon Me My Friend from coffeepostal on VimeoAdam Farnsworth, Los Angeles, CA made this video for their song “Pardon Me My Friend.”He said he spent about 50 hours hand drawing and animating the video, another 10 or so editing and color correcting. Adam Farnsworth said the inspiration for the piece was really the song. He has been wanting to experiment with stop

When I started this blog, I promised myself I would write at least 3 posts a week. But lately, all I could manage is to write 2. Please pardon me that I haven't posted since last week because of the IVF process I have to undergo. Last Saturday, I went in to the fertility center for the retrieval process of the eggs and fertilization in the laboratory. More needles were punctured throughout my body

The Washington Times reports that the FBI has "raided" the county offices of a former Illinois state senator who is "a poker-playing buddy" of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Larry Walsh has campaigned for Obama in rural and farming areas of the state and became "tight friends" during their tenure in the Illinois Senate, bonding over games of poker. Obama also endorsed Walsh in his

Thanks to Donna for bringing to my attention the problem with how my blog is viewed.  For some reason my blog is not rendering correctly in Internet Explorer.  The last date listed in IE is August 12 where in Firefox all posts are up to date. While I fix this problem there may be some odd [...]

I’m in the process of switching servers… It may not be pretty but it’s working (sort of).  More to come shortly!

A criminal must want a freedom for his life after he spent much time in a prison. After leaving the prison, the main problem was his name. His name has been ugly because of resulting from his crime that was made by him. After leaving the prison, he should ask national pardon as soon as possible. For a criminal from Canada, getting Canadian pardon service was not difficult. To get the Canada Pardon

Do you ever have times when you look at the next couple of days on your calendar and have a panic attack over all the stuff that somehow has to be accomplished at your hand?* We begin Bible Release Time tomorrow. This is the program our church hosts which allows children from Grades 2-6 to attend Bible Classes one day per week. I teach those classes and tomorrow is the kick off. I'm typing this po

In honor of the web's best thinking regarding the Bush administration and preemptive self-pardons, we play this game:From Human Events: It's no surprise that ACORN is closely associated with Barack Obama. Right after graduating from the Harvard Law school, Obama was recruited by ACORN to run a successful voter registration drive for an ACORN affiliate, Project Vote. ACORN claims that, along with P

The Anchorage Daily News suggests that the following question be asked of Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin:Sen. Ted Stevens' trial is still pending; he has declined to say whether he would accept a pardon from President Bush before he leaves office Jan. Do Alaska voters deserve an answer to that question before they cast their vote for or against Stevens in November? What is your p

I furti sono la cosa che odio di più al mondo. Per evitarli, a sempre si studiano i modi più originali per difendere la proprieta, soprattutto veicoli come l'automobile, il motociclo o la bicicletta. Questa serie di foto è assurda, c'è gene che per difendere la propria auto ha attaccato la ruota a un'ancora o peggio ha incatenato ruota a marmitta. Incredibile chi è riuscito a lucchettare la p

In honor of John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin for the vice-presidency, PardonPower found this article from February 20, 2007:Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today signed Senate Bill 46 and House Bill 69. The Governor was joined by Senator Donny Olson and Representative Ralph Samuels at the bill signing.Senate Bill 46 extends the deadline for coastal communities to revise their plans f

Gov. Steve Beshear has granted a partial pardon to 62-year old Ron Berry, the former head of the Micro-City Government youth program who was convicted on 12 counts of sodomy with 12- to 16-year-old boys in 2002. Berry completed a three-year prison sentence in 2005, but it is also reported that more than 160 individuals have sued the Urban County Government "claiming city officials ignored or conce

Circuit Judge Michael Town has decided to continue to allow Ernie Gomez to remain free as he seeks a pardon from Governor Linda Lingle. Amazingly, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Itomura says she can "fast-track" the pardon request, But Itomura cannot make any predictions with respect to how much time Attorney General Mark Bennett would need to review the application and make a recommendation to the

In December of 2005, Ernie Gomez received a mandatory 5-year prison sentence for terrorizing his wife with a semi-automatic handgun, but was allowed to remain free on bail while waiting for the outcome of his appeal. When the appeal failed, a Circuit Court judge allowed him to continue to remain remain free while he pursued a pardon from Gov. Linda Lingle. The application is actually supported by

It was two years ago today that CNN's Washington Bureau reported on a presidential pardon in this manner:By granting absolution to a convicted moonshiner, George W. Bush also earned the unique distinction of becoming the first president to pardon a cast member of the 1972 Academy Award-nominated movie "Deliverance."Yep. See it here to believe it. Sometimes, when the race is on to be the first to c

The Norwich Bulletin has a great "inside" story on the Connecticut "Pardon Team," a Norwich-based organization run by a former alderman that has "helped guide thousands of people through the first steps of the application process." That initial form for that process is actually 17 pages long! The Team, founded by a husband and wife in 2004, notes, "You might make one mistake. But once you’ve ser

WBBM 780 reports that police and prosecutors in the State of Illinois are asking Iowa Governor Chet Culver to pardon Michael Mette, a Chicago police officer who was sentenced to five years in prison after he hit an under aged drunken college student in the face. Supporters of the 31-year old Mette say the blow landed only after he had been pushed three times by the student whose BAC was three time

It is reported that one of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s attorneys has asked Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) about the possibility of a pardon. In exchange, Kilpatrick would agree to testify at a September 3rd removal hearing. See story here.UPDATE from Reuters: Gov. Jennifer Granholm said on Thursday she would not grant a pardon to Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on perjury and other charges, reit

In South Korea, economics trumps justice. Chung Mong-koo, the head of Hyundai who recently received a suspended sentence for embezzling and bribes has -- along with 341,000 other businessmen, bureaucrats, and politicians -- been given a full pardon.President Lee Myung-bak, who said he was "personally against" the decision, decided to issue the pardons anyway. Mong-koo wasn't even in jail, but appa

Portland-Seattle Hip Hop duo featuring world rap champ Illmaculate. Directed by Sam Naiman. Special thanks to BJ Dehut, Rose Ayers, and Kjerstin Rossi.

The State parole board has completed its recommendation, as has the Governor's counsel. Now it is up to Timothy Kaine to decide the fate of Kathryn Ingleson, who is about one week away from being deported to England. Ingelson committed a "300 crime" more than a decade ago. The fact that she used a credit card to buy Christmas gifts for her little boy makes her current appeal even more appealing -

Rep. Brandon Jones is putting together with an aim at restricting the governor's power to pardon, commute or suspend sentences, but The Mississippi Press reports "the Pascagoula Democrat has apparently drawn no support from fellow local lawmakers." Sen. Tommy Moffatt says such decisions are "the governor's constitutional right." Rep. Frank Hamilton says clemency is "one of the executive powers the

In a previous post (here) we noted:The preemptive, self-pardon folks have been around for almost 40 years now and - by even the most generous estimate - they are 0 for 4. They were wrong during the administrations of Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Yes, they were very loud and wildly colorful, but no less wrong. The more astute scholar might darken the picture even

Ben Burrows at the Philadelphia Jewish Voice is making his contribution to the concern over preemptive pardons by suggesting a constitutional amendment. Says Burrows:... Those of us concerned with the misuse of this power for self-protective indulgences have few options. If, however, we have a two-thirds Democratic majority in both houses of Congress, there are some strategies which might apply be

Typing last night along with seizing the opportunity to get out of the house yesterday conferred the peace inside of me. Feelings of shame and mense have replaced frustration and ill mannor. God, I am so ashamed of myself. I fight my fare share of deamons. I crusade the good side of life. My preaching and lifestyle are [...]

Rap "singer" Ludacris (or Chris Bridges from Illinois) is enjoying massive publicity for the release of a new "song" which describes former Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton as an irrelevant "bitch" and states that Republican presidential candidate U.S. Senator John McCain should only be in a "chair" if he becomes "paralyzed." Now that is art!The cynic might note t

internet dünyasında nekadar ünlüsünüz?Bildiğiniz gibi, PageRank , yani PR ,Google'ın site sıralamasındakullandığı algoritmanın sonucu sitenize verdiği değeri gösterenbasitleştirilmiş 0'dan 10'a kadar olan bir değerdir.Sitenizin PR değerini livepageranks ' den öğrenebilirsiniz.Bu Pagerank , çok çetrefilli bir konu.Kimine göre çok güvenilirken kimine göre ise tam tersi .

Please pardon any funkiness you may experience on My Women Stuff. I am in the process of upgrading my wordpress and there might be a bit of a mess although fingers crossed, there shouldn’t be. Update: I’m now running wordpress 2.6 and it was painless! Yay! © ParisB for My Women Stuff, 2008. | Permalink | No comment Post [...]

Unless you count with Adblock Plus or other similar product, you will have noticed that I am running a banner now. I’ve avoided so far adding ads to the site, but my soon 16 year old son is starting to drive. How is that related? Well, let me explain it to you. Insurance companies charge you [...]

Gary Ater, at the American Chronicle, is taking the pre-emptive self-pardon talk to new and entertaining heights. In a recent column, he says:... It was at that time that the Republican leadership's congressional stooges, House Speaker, Dennis Hastert, and Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist, (now thankfully, long-gone from the House and Senate) jumped into high gear and pushed a bill through that

Bush Is Urged Not to Pardon SprinterNew York Times, United StatesBy JERÉ LONGMAN The newly appointed chief executive of USA Track & Field has sent a strongly worded letter to President Bush, asking him not to pardon the ... Read More

In between writing to her kids and doing her prison duties, Marion Jones found time to write the President of the United States for a pardon.Jones is wrapping up a six month sentence for lying to federal investigators about the BALCO steroid investigation.Along with hundreds of felons, Jones wrote President Bush to seek pardon and commutation for their felon crimes.It's hard to imagine that her r

Charlie Savage of the New York Times has written a very general front-page piece on the pardon power and the Bush administration. He begins by noting applications for pardons and commutations are "at historic levels" and, among those seeking clemency are Michael Milken, Randy Cunningham, Edwin W. Edwards, John Walker Lindh and Marion Jones. PardonPower talked with Mr. Savage earlier this week and

The Mississippi Press reports there is much "community anger" as a result of Governor Haley Barbour's commutation of the life sentence of Michael David Graham, who was convicted of murder. Graham has served 19 years of his original sentence. But a spokesman for Barbour is declining comment saying, "We've released all of the information we are going to." A policeman who was once of the first to arr

The New York Daily News is reporting on Roger Adams, the former U.S. Pardon Attorney who was "fired for making racist remarks in the case of a beloved Brooklyn minister facing deportation." More specifically, Adams is reported to have said that a clemency applicant (whose application is supported by Hillary Clinton) was "about as honest as you could expect for a Nigerian. Unfortunately, that's not

i apologize for the delay in postings but this last week has been crazy due to health issues. starting next thursday a guest bloggers will be taking over for a bit but i promise that once im back on me feet everything will be back to basics. meanwhile im going to try and post until then!xoxophoto cred: vogue russiajuly 2008

PardonPower notes a blur over at PRWeb.com which features a commercial enterprise known as ClearMYrecord.com. The blurb notes that the folks at ClearMYrecord.com have "announced" that they have "successfully assisted a customer in winning a pardon from President George W. Bush." Furthermore, they say, "the successful effort ultimately took a fraction of the time usually required and cost less than

SingleGuyMoney is currently under construction. Please be patient and if this is your first time here, please be sure to come back. I plan to have the updates completed by this afternoon. ** The updates are completed. I hope you guys like the new theme. Let me know what you think. **

Ronald Gene Taylor, who was released from prison last October when DNA cleared him of a rape conviction, considers himself now "officially a free man." Taylor has received a pardon from Governor Rick Perry. He can now also collect about $700,000 from the State of Texas if he agrees not to sue. See story here.

I am human. I have the capability to think and feel. I can be your best friend and, rubbed the wrong way, your worst enemy. I have many faults as all humans do. I sincerely believe that there is a goodness in everyone. If I can't find the goodness in a person, I ask for Divine intervention.I've ranted my rage. Now I ask for the Divine.

We apologize for the brief interruption. Your friends at A Newt One just had to archive almost 500 posts for your future enjoyment. Now, back to our regular blogging.

Lance Griffin of the Dothan Eagle has written a great little article on former Alabama Attorney General Richmond Flowers (D) who also ran for governor in 1966. Flowers was convicted on federal charges of extorting payments from life insurance companies in return for being allowed to do business in the state in 1969. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison and fined $10,000. But Flowers claimed the c

The Cape Breton Post reports the following regarding Conrad Black:Conrad Black says he’s not asking for a presidential pardon for his conviction on fraud and obstruction of justice charges and is “pursuing justice through the normal channels.”In an e-mail to The Canadian Press a week after a Chicago court heard his appeal, Black says he doesn’t want to predict an outcome.But he says he is

The Post and Courier reports the state "could save up to $800,000 a year by keeping better track of mobile phones and pagers given to state employees and using more efficient calling plans." At least this was the conclusion of an audit released on Wednesday. Among other things, the following is noted:... The report, which looked at use of communication devices for fiscal year 2005-06, pointed out

As of today, here are the Top Ten Google responses to the search string "Bush should pardon ..."10. Teri Schiavo9. Mark E. Whitacre - PardonPower8. Jim Taricani7. (Bill) Clinton - Human Events6. Our Pig Ginny - PigPardon.com5. Roger Clemens4. All of the Turkeys3. (Scooter) Libby - Think Progress2. Paris (Hilton) - Huffington Postand the number one Google reponse to the search string "Bush should p

The Chicago Sun-Times recently got a charge out of reporting that presidential candidate Barack Obama had promised not to pardon or grant even a commutation of sentence for his friend, the recently convicted Tony Rezko. As it turned out, Mr. Obama made no such promise. The story was based on commentary by an Obama spokesman. See story here. Here are some reasons, however, why I think Obama should

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Democratic candidate Barack Obama has promised that, if he is elected, he will not pardon Tony Rezko for his corruption convictions or grant a commutation of sentence. Rezko was recently convicted on 16 of 24 corruption counts. The Sun-Times reports that "Republicans quickly seized on the verdict with an immediate round of internet-based advertising questioning Obama

The Daily Journal reports George "Homer" Ryan has started a letter-writing campaign among to convince President Bush to grant his father, former Gov. George Ryan (R) either a pardon or commutation. Homer says he wants to "appeal to the good nature of the most powerful man in the world" because his father does not "deserve this." The letters will become part of the family's petition to the Office o

It is one of the most fascinating, moving stories of forgiveness and mercy that you will ever hear ... or, it is one of the best book-selling gimmicks to come along since Scott McClellan grew a conscience. The Union Leader reports Lylah Rose Goldwater had actually planned on killing Shayne Pitts, but felt like her daughter's voice was telling her not to go through with it. Pitts had murdered Goldw

Over at Sentencing Law and Policy, there is commentary on Scott McClellan's new book, Scooter Libby and John McCain's views on things. I had actually started a post on McCain and the pardon power back in February and just never got around to proofing it up. This might be the time to let it out. Here is what I came up with:* On January 26, 2001, Senator John McCain called Bill Clinton's pardon of M

John Kass has graced the Chicago Tribune with an editorial that is hard to beat for sheer over- the-top hyperbole. He writes that former Governor George Ryan "got more than a fair trial," indeed he got a trial that was "more fair than any defendant" Kass has ever seen (no sample size is reported). Kass also complains that Ryan deserved more that the six and a half year prison sentence that he got

Today's Washington Post features a story by Carrie Johnson which focuses on the task facing the new U.S. Pardon Attorney, Ronald L. Rogers. Among other things, the article notes:Rodgers inherited a stack of nearly 2,000 requests for pardons and commutations of prison sentences in the waning months of the president's administration, a time when pressure to exercise the clemency power intensifies. "

For the last 11 years, government officials have been trying to deport rapper Slick Rick to his United Kingdom country as a result of crimes he committed in the states. Governor David Paterson just granted him a pardon which means he can officially stay in the country and this legal matter is finally over. I never saw Slick Rick as a UK dude, I always saw him as an American. Never the less, thi

GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES PARDON OF SLICK RICK (RICKY “SLICK RICK” WALTERS)

Governor David A. Paterson announced today that he has granted Ricky Walters a full and unconditional pardon of his 1991 attempted murder and weapon convictions, in order to allow Walters to seek... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

It is no wonder people have a hard time learning the English language. We have words that are written or said the same, yet they have different meanings. The word “cricket” is a great example. More: continued here

Life is unpredictable. You can’t think what is going to happen with you in a next few moments. So is a criminal record. Whether you are right or wrong, it does not matter. Only your past record matters when you are applying for admissions in a college or for a new job and if you [...]

Hayden Panettiere freakin' loves those sea creatures. So much so that she's auctioning off a VIP whale-watching trip with you, her and five of your closest friends (Interesting number choice...). The auctions are a joint effort with Hayden's new social networking site Zude and The Whaleman Foundation. Here's the details straight from the eBay itself: You and up to 5 guests will join Hayden Pane

I interrupt my normally scheduled post to bring you these 2 gems from America :)I love my country!!!!! :)Jon Stewart for president!!!!!!!!and Steven Colbert for V.P.!

As I was researching stories and information on last weekends deadly storms and tornadoes I came across a story out of Charlotte, South Carolina about how viewers were peeved at their local television stations for breaking in during their favorite prime time shows during a severe weather event on Thursday May 8th. As a television meteorologist [...]

:: PÅ ZENG JINYAN´S BLOGG hittar man i dag från Pingsthelgen, den 11-12 maj, bl.a. följande referenser:* OLYMPISK NÅD (alt. amnesti) för politiska fångar som en gest av goodwill föreslås av Dui Hua Foundation. Zeng Jinyan ger sin kommentar: Det skulle också innebära en myckenhet av än mera goodwill för Kina. Läs artikeln i LA Times om vad Zeng Jinyan säger om saken.* KAMPANJEN Släp

He was active in party politics and his buddy is sometimes given credit for getting Mother's Day officially recognized in the United States. But he fell into some legal trouble, was convicted, and found himself looking at a $12,000 fine and a prison sentence of 5 months. Things didn't look very cheery in the appellate process either. But, you see, this fellow was "close" to high-ranking White Hous

Gov. Mike Beebe has announced his intent to grant a pardon to Harold White, who was convicted in 1987 of delivery of marijuana. However, prosecutor Robin Carroll is objecting to the pardon application. See story here.

Here is a great article about one Jimmy Hinton, who dealt cocaine for five years and could be seen carrying around hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, that is until a routine traffic stop in 1995. Hinton then spent five years in prison. And, when he left, former Governor Mike Huckabee (R)granted him a pardon. Now Hinton shares his story in elementary schools and in juvenile detention facilities. As he tells his listenters, "My calling now is, after all I've gone through, is to reach back and get you, so I want to stop you before you get to where I had to go."

Blackbird's ears leave something to be desired. You've probably noticed thatour ears don't stick out like they do on most animals, plus they're covered infeathers, a big no no in the ear design world. The humans don't realise that theconstant peeping sound we make while hopping around is us saying "What?" "Pardon?" "Eh?" Since our ears are so useless we do rely rather a lot on our eyes to keep ussafe from scumbag cats. The twitch of a bush is enough to send me squawkinginto the air in a high state of panic. So you can imagine my dismay at learning that Imay need glasses! I discovered this fact while I was having a long conversationwith a hedgehog, which turned out to be a scrubbing brush. It rather looks likeI may need to rely on my sense of smell from now on.

Pardons granted by President Clinton (1993-2001) A Snoop public service.

The Washington Post's Al Kamen is giving some attention where little attention is usually given: to the U.S. Pardon Attorney. Kamen suggests the recent appointment of Ronald L. Rodgers to the position (see PardonPower post here) is "possible good news" for convicted felons. Kamen also describes the Office of the Pardon Attorney as a "much criticized" and a "creaky" program. See Post article here.

The Associated Press reports that a Clarendon County police deputy, Todd Avant, has been granted a pardon less than one year after he pleaded guilty to possessing a gambling machine. Avant, who was fined $500, is seeking to get back his law enforcement credentials. Story here.

From the U.S. Department of Justice: The Justice Department today announced that Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey has appointed Ronald L. Rodgers to serve as the U.S. Pardon Attorney. Rodgers will oversee the Office of the Pardon Attorney, which is responsible for reviewing petitions for executive clemency and preparing recommendations for the President.Rodgers has served with the Department of Justice since March 1999 in the Drug Intelligence Unit of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, where he has been Director of the Unit since September 2005.Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Rodgers served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1977 to 1999. His final active duty assignment was as Circuit and Deputy Chief Military Judge of the Navy-Marine C

Faceless Werewolves have smoothed it out a bit on their sophomore effort. Not in that way -- the Austin trio is still tired of talkin', and would rather just take you home and tear into your naughty bits.

Issue a blanket pardon. Forgive everyone who has ever hurt you in any way. Forgiveness is a perfectly selfish act. It sets you free from the past (Brian Tracy)

Today's Chicago Sun-Times reports that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) will not "open the books" on many pardons he has granted. The Sun-Times reports executive clemency files maintained by the Prisoner Review Board "typically show police reports, court records and letters of recommendation -- all accessible from the agency in the past." But Blagojevich's administration is now denying access to documents regarding the dozens of pardons he has granted by rejecting a Freedom of Information Act request from the Chicago Sun-Times. In 2003, Blagojevich's administration allowed access to most executive clemency files, but a Blagojevich spokeswoman refused to answer questions about the policy shift.The governor has received criticism for pardoning Chandra Gill from a felony battery conviction and for gr

In an editorial for today's St. Louis Dispatch, Bob McClellan writes about clemency in the state of Missouri. Along the way, McClellan writes:In a legal sense, it is about executive clemency, a seldom-used procedure by which a governor can grant a pardon or commute a sentence. Missouri governors have exercised this power only 15 times since 1992. One case involved an outright pardon. That went to Johnny Lee Wilson in 1995 after an investigation concluded that Wilson had been wrongly convicted of a murder. Most of the others involved commutation from a sentence of life without the possibility of parole to a sentence of life with the possibility of parole.Although clemency is seldom granted, hope amongst the clemency-seekers has been running high ever since Gov. Matt Blunt announced he would