×
You have 2 more free articles available this month. Subscribe today.
Former TX Parole Board Chairman Sentenced
Former Texas slate parole board chairman, James Granberry, pleaded guilty in April of 1994 to charges that he committed perjury during an investigation of independent "parole consultants."
After Granberry resigned from the Board of Pardons and Parole in May 1991, he set himself up as a freelance parole consultant. Cranberry, and other former Texas parole hoard members, made a practice of marketing their influence as former Parole board members, collecting "consulting fees" from prisoners desperate for freedom. This practice has since been outlawed by the state but only after public furor focused attention on the issue when paroled murderer, Kenneth McDuff, abducted and killed a pregnant convenience store clerk. When McDuff was arrested he had a business card in his wallet from the parole consultant another former parole board member) who assisted in his successful parole bid. After the McDuff case an investigation was launched into the practice of former parole board members collecting fees to act as parole consultants.
Granberry was charged with perjury, accused of lying to a federal magistrate about the extent of the consulting business he ran. Federal prosecutors said Granberry served as a consultant for prisoners and their families on 22 cases and was still receiving fees when he testified in 1992 that he had handled only six or eight cases and was no longer in that business.
In entering the guilty plea before U. S. District Judge Walter Smith, Granberry also admitted it at while he was still a member of the parole board he helped a Dallas car dealers son win a parole in exchange for a reduced lease payment on two automobiles.
In August of 1994 Granberry was sentenced to serve six months in a halfway house. Justice for All spokesperson Pam Lynchner of Houston said tile sentence was "absolutely appalling. The court not only let him walk without any prison time, they are going to allow him not to pay any monetary fine."
Granberry had cooperated with federal prosecutors in exchange for a lenient sentence. He testified before a grand jury that while he was a "consultant" he was routinely given confidential information from prisoner files by then active parole board member, Frank Eickenburg. Eickenburg was indicted by the grand jury for his complicity in those cases.
After Granberry resigned from the Board of Pardons and Parole in May 1991, he set himself up as a freelance parole consultant. Cranberry, and other former Texas parole hoard members, made a practice of marketing their influence as former Parole board members, collecting "consulting fees" from prisoners desperate for freedom. This practice has since been outlawed by the state but only after public furor focused attention on the issue when paroled murderer, Kenneth McDuff, abducted and killed a pregnant convenience store clerk. When McDuff was arrested he had a business card in his wallet from the parole consultant another former parole board member) who assisted in his successful parole bid. After the McDuff case an investigation was launched into the practice of former parole board members collecting fees to act as parole consultants.
Granberry was charged with perjury, accused of lying to a federal magistrate about the extent of the consulting business he ran. Federal prosecutors said Granberry served as a consultant for prisoners and their families on 22 cases and was still receiving fees when he testified in 1992 that he had handled only six or eight cases and was no longer in that business.
In entering the guilty plea before U. S. District Judge Walter Smith, Granberry also admitted it at while he was still a member of the parole board he helped a Dallas car dealers son win a parole in exchange for a reduced lease payment on two automobiles.
In August of 1994 Granberry was sentenced to serve six months in a halfway house. Justice for All spokesperson Pam Lynchner of Houston said tile sentence was "absolutely appalling. The court not only let him walk without any prison time, they are going to allow him not to pay any monetary fine."
Granberry had cooperated with federal prosecutors in exchange for a lenient sentence. He testified before a grand jury that while he was a "consultant" he was routinely given confidential information from prisoner files by then active parole board member, Frank Eickenburg. Eickenburg was indicted by the grand jury for his complicity in those cases.
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login