Pennsylvania: Judge Discourages Clemency

17-year old Alec Kreider was sentenced to life in prison yesterday after he admitted to killing Tom and Lisa Haines their 16-year-old son, Kevin, who was Kreider's best friend. The murders were committed in May of 2007, with the use of a hunting knife. Kreider was arrested after he confessed to his own father. An attorney says Kreger is "a child" who has not experienced full cognitive development. It is also alleged that Kreider told the inmate that killing his best friend, was "interesting," and that he would kill again if given the chance. At the closing of Tuesday's hearing, Judge David L. Ashworth told Kreider he would be filing a notation with the sentencing order in order to discourage any present or future governor from granting Kreider clemency. "Mr. Kreider, you will spend the rest of your life in prison," Ashworth said. "You will never be given the opportunity to threaten anyone else in the community."See article here.

Pennsylvania: Prozac Murder?

Kurt Danysh is serving a 22.5-60-year sentence for shooting his 51-year old father in the head after his supply of Prozac ran out. Danysh says he does not remember even pulling the gun out. He also says that he has not yet "forgiven" himself, but that he has "come to terms with what happened." Now Danysh is seeking clemency as he tries to "raise awareness" about possible effects of Prozac and other antidepressant drugs. An attorney from the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers says seeking a clemency is a difficult and time-consuming process, requiring a unanimous vote by the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons in order to get the governor to even consider the application. He also explains that, in 2007, "the governor granted 105 clemencies out of 138 clemency applications recommended by the board," but the board received over 650 applications. Pardon board Secretary John Heaton agrees that it is "quite a lengthy" process and notes that it has taken as long as two years for the board to review a request. See story here.

Pennsylvania: Background

According to the secretary of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, the number of pardon, or clemency, requests in the State has skyrocketed since September 11 because of an increasing number of background checks uncovering crimes committed long ago, most of which were petty crimes. The secretary also notes, “There’s not a day goes by that I don’t see a new occupation where someone can’t get a job” because of their criminal record and some applications are processed over a period of three years. Pennsylvania's five-member pardon board, which meets monthly, is the only place to go to ask for mercy under state law and an expungement (or erasure) of a criminal record can only be obtained after pardon. District attorneys and those affected by the crime are asked to weigh in on pardon requests, but there are three pieces of legislation pending that would persons with minor criminal offenses to get their record expunged without a pardon. The above-mentioned secretary notes, “The board is just so far behind. It needs to be done.” See full story here.

Pennsylvania: A Pardon and Some Insights

This article discusses the case of one Robert Michael Milroy who was convicted of five counts of importation of heroin and five counts of using the U.S. mail to facilitate the importation of heroin and received a seven year prison sentence 1975. Milroy was pardoned by President Bush on Monday. But the more interesting part of the article is this section:

The Associated Press reported that a spokesperson for Bush said the president didn't personally know any of the people pardoned. “I don't believe he personally knows any of them,” White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said during a briefing yesterday. “The pardon attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice regularly provides the president with recommendations... The president considers these clemency recommendations as they come in to him.”

So, that explains what is going on up there! Compare with previous commentary here.

Pennsylvania: Denial

This report focuses on the story of an individual who cannot vote because of a felony conviction but has done a great deal to mobilize other voters nonetheless. David Sadler is 33 years old but cannot vote because of a conviction when he was 18. Sadler claims he was falsely accused and charged with drug possession, but he accepted a plea bargain because it was the only way to quickly return to school and football without serving jail time. In 2002, he walked from Orlando, Fla., to Harrisburg, Pa. to deliver his request for clemency to the governor and his effort attracted national media attention. But then Gov. Mark Schweiker (R) denied the request. Today, Sadler is the state director for the Alabama Restore the Vote Coalition. "They took my one vote but they added 5,000 more. I'll take those odds," Sadler said, referring to the estimated 5,000 people he's helped through his work with the coalition.