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Out-going Kentucky Governor Issues 101 Pardons, Commutations
In December 2007, during his last hours in office, out-going Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher made state history by issuing 101 sentence commutations or pardons. While some of those acts of executive clemency appear to be meritorious, others smack of cronyism.
One of Fletcher’s commutations converted Jeffrey Devan Leonard’s death sentence ...
One of Fletcher’s commutations converted Jeffrey Devan Leonard’s death sentence ...
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More from this issue:
- Not the Usual Suspects: The Politics of the Prison Boom, by Marie Gottschalk
- Arkansas Law Discloses Legislators’ Business Ties to State, by David Reutter
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- PEW Public Safety Report: Prisoncrats Abuse Their Probation/Parole Violation Powers So As To Stymie Offenders’ Re-entry Into Society, by Marvin Mentor
- Child Abuse Abounds in Wilderness and Boot Camp Programs, by Matthew Clarke
- Squalor, Corruption Cause Cancellation of GEO Group’s TYC Contract, by Gary Hunter
- A Long Road Toward Reform: An Interview with John Boston, Director of the Prisoners’ Rights Project of the New York City Legal Aid Society, by Todd Matthews
- Compassionless Conservative Texas Judge Closes Court Promptly, Ensuring Execution, by Matthew Clarke
- Once Again, Former Florida DOC Secretary Faces Liability in Prisoner Beating; Case Settled for $400,000, by David Reutter
- Two BOP Guards, One Beaten Prisoner: One Guilty Plea, One Acquittal
- “Hot Bunking” at Cook County Jail Could Violate Consent Decree
- Out-going Kentucky Governor Issues 101 Pardons, Commutations, by David Reutter
- Wisconsin County Bans Profiteering in Jail Phone Contracts
- Missouri Execution Nurse, Doctor Have Questionable Histories, by John Dannenberg
- Indicted California Sheriff Resigns to Fight Federal Corruption Charges
- California DOC Federal Health Care Receiver Replaced, by John Dannenberg
- California Juvenile Parolees Entitled to Two-Step Revocation Process, by John Dannenberg
- $100,000 Settlement in Illinois Jail Guard’s Forced Oral Sex of Female Prisoner
- California: Few Sex Predators Civilly Committed To Mental Hospitals, Despite Expanded Qualification Criteria, by John Dannenberg
- CCA Fined $140,000 for Early Release of Prisoners at FL Jail; Quits Contract
- Infected Hand Mistreatment At Sacramento County Jail Settled For $100,000
- Georgia Sheriff, Judges, Other Officials Face Misconduct, Criminal Charges, by David Reutter
- Grand Jury Report, Four Nebraska Jail Guards Indicted in Prisoner’s Death, by David Reutter
- No Safety or Security for Maryland Prisoners, by Michael Rigby
- $150,000 Settlement in Pennsylvania Jail Prisoner’s Suicide
- Ohio Prisoner Wins $4,525 Award For Assault By Guard
- California DOC Stipulates to Removal of Visitor X-Ray Ma-chines, but Damages Appeal Dismissed, by John Dannenberg
- Washington State Sex Offender Vigilante Dies In Prison
- $35,00 Settlement in Sexual Assault of Pennsylvania Female Prisoner by Guard
- Ninth Circuit: Prisoner’s Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment Classification Claims Fail Sandin Test, by John Dannenberg
- Change in Texas Parole Law May Be Ex Post Facto Violation, by Matthew Clarke
- News in Brief:
- Ninth Circuit: Vested Retirement Benefits May Be Garnished to Pay Criminal Fines
More from David Reutter:
- Help Wanted: 31,000 Prison Guard Jobs Open Nationwide, Sept. 1, 2025
- Fifth Circuit Greenlights Federal Takeover of Mississippi Jail, Aug. 1, 2025
- Ninth Circuit Revives Prisoner’s Claim Based on Guard’s Thwarting of Administrative Remedies, Aug. 1, 2025
- Tenth Circuit Ruling Paves Way for $2.7 Million Settlement for Intellectually Disabled Jail Detainee Raped by Sheriff, Aug. 1, 2025
- Ninth Circuit Agrees That Former Guantanamo Detainee Lacks Grounds to Sue for Waterboarding, Aug. 1, 2025
- Qualified Immunity Denied for Iowa Prison Doctor’s MRI Delay for Non-Medical Reasons, Aug. 1, 2025
- Ninth Circuit: Continuing-Violations Doctrine Applies for PLRA Administrative Exhaustion Purposes, Aug. 1, 2025
- First Circuit: Prosecutor’s Breach of Plea Agreement Requires Government’s Specific Performance of Agreement, Not Specific Performance by District Court, Aug. 1, 2025
- Oregon Prisoners Can Now Seek Economic Damages for Future Lost Income More Easily, July 15, 2025
- $22.5 Million Verdict Arrives Too Late for Wrongfully Convicted Illinois Prisoner, July 15, 2025
More from these topics:
- DOJ Finds Unconstitutional Conditions in Texas Juvenile Detention, Aug. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Sentencing, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Failure to Protect (Juveniles), Juvenile Prisons.
- Former Prisoner Informant Appointed Deputy Director of BOP, July 15, 2025. Prison Reform, Criminal justice system reform, Informants, War on Drugs, Pardons/Clemency, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Trading Guns for Drugs.
- Trump Pardons Virginia Sheriff Convicted of a Bribes-for-Badges Scheme, July 15, 2025. Misconduct/Corruption, Pardons/Clemency, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- Tennessee Board of Parole Spanked for Failing to Make Recommendation to Governor on Prisoner’s Clemency Application, July 15, 2025. Parole Board Misconduct, Pardons/Clemency, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, Release Decisions.
- Georgia Moves to Shield Intellectually Disabled Prisoners from Execution, June 1, 2025. Sentencing, Death Penalty.
- Fourth Circuit: District Court Failed to Provide Sufficient Explanation for Sentence Imposed and Did Not Address Defendant’s Arguments for Downward Variant Sentence, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, Drug Laws/Offenses.
- Fourth Circuit: Procedurally Unreasonable Sentence Where District Court Failed to Address Defendant’s Non-Frivolous Downward Variance Argument Based on Sentencing Disparity Due to Which State’s Statute Prior Conviction Based Upon, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, Failure To Consider Disparity, Federal-State Differences/Disparity/Conflicts, Disparity in Charging/Sentencing Practices.
- SCOTUS Announces Only ‘False’ Statements Made to FDIC Are Criminalized Under 18 U.S.C. § 1014, Not Statements That Are ‘Misleading’ but True, May 15, 2025. Sentencing, False Statements/Perjury.
- Former Prisoner Appointed President’s Pardon “Czar”, May 1, 2025. Pardons/Clemency, Appointments Clause.
- Biden Clemency Recipients Included Virginians Sentenced for “Acquitted Conduct”, April 1, 2025. Wrongful Conviction, Pardons/Clemency, False Confessions, Drug Laws/Offenses.