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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:
- Sixth Circuit Announces State-Law Exceptions to Appeal Deadlines Preserve “Pending” Status Under AEDPA, Holding Belated-Appeal Procedures Toll Federal Habeas Limitations Period, April 1, 2026
- Florida Supreme Court Announces Rule 3.170(f)’s Good-Cause Plea-Withdrawal Standard Does Not Apply at Post-Appeal Resentencing, April 1, 2026
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces Defendant Must Be Competent Before Undergoing Mental-Condition Examination Under § 16-8-107(3)(b), April 1, 2026
- California Court of Appeal Announces Plea Agreements Cannot Bar § 1172.1 Resentencing, Holds Merit-Based Denial of Petition Is Appealable, April 1, 2026
- Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies That Failure to Object to Ineligible Juror Does Not Constitute Waiver Unless Party Knew or Could Have Discovered Ineligibility Through Ordinary Diligence, April 1, 2026
- Washington State Guard’s Conviction Affirmed in Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Scheme, March 1, 2026
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Motion Judge Abused Discretion by Denying Evidentiary Hearing on IAC Claim Where Plea Counsel’s Affidavit Was Not Inherently Inconsistent With Colloquy Statements Regarding Immigration Advice, March 1, 2026
- Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Double Jeopardy Analysis for Multiple Assault Convictions, Holding That Assaultive Acts Occurring Over Short Time Period in Same Location Without Intervening Events Constitute Single Course of Conduct, March 1, 2026
- New Jersey Supreme Court Reverses Drug Convictions Under Cumulative Error Doctrine, Holding Combined Effect of Improper References to Television Series, Gun Violence, and Search Warrants Deprived Defendant of Fair Trial, March 1, 2026
- New York Court of Appeals Announces Coercive Police Tactics Compelling Suspect to Exit Home Constitute “Constructive Entry” Violating Payton, Holds Attenuation Analysis Applies to Third-Party Consent, March 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- SCOTUS Announces Sentencing Reform Act Does Not Authorize Automatic Extension of Supervised Release When Defendant Absconds, Resolving Circuit Split, April 1, 2026. Sentencing, Revocation/Modification of Probation, etc., Statutory Construction/Interpretation, Sentences - Corrections or Modifications of, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release.
- Federal Death Row Prisoners Granted Clemency by Biden Are Facing Retaliation by Trump, Feb. 1, 2026. Transfers, Pardons/Clemency, Death Row, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Confinement in Segregated Housing.
- Eighth Circuit Announces Presidential Commutation Does Not Moot Challenge to Underlying Sentence, Jan. 1, 2026. Pardons/Clemency, First Step Act, Qualifying Offenses, Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Authority and Jurisdiction.
- Oklahoma Prisoner Found Unconscious in Cell Hours After Avoiding Execution, Dec. 1, 2025. Public Defenders, Pardons/Clemency, Life without Parole (LWOP), Death Penalty, Effective Assistance of Counsel.
- Ex-Wife of Minnesota DOC Commissioner Sentenced for Poisoning Attempt on Son, Dec. 1, 2025. Out of State Transfers, Sentencing, Conspiracies, Attempts, Solicitations, Confessions and Statements of Defendant, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- Missouri Blocks Spiritual Advisors from Prison Pastor’s Execution, Nov. 1, 2025. Pardons/Clemency, Death Penalty, Lethal Injection Method of Execution, Religious Freedom/Worship, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
- SCOTUS Overturns Oklahoma Prisoner’s Death Sentence After More than 25 Years on Death Row, Nov. 1, 2025. Ex Post Facto, Good Time, Wrongful Conviction, Habeas Corpus, Wrongful Imprisonment, Pardons/Clemency, First Step Act, Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (CAFRA), Specific Offenses, Controlled Substances, Weapons, Accuracy of Information, Depraved Indifference Murder, Evidence - Circumstantial, Theft, Failure to Disclose, Perjury/Perjured Testimony, Evidence - Failure to Disclose, New Trial - Motions for, Pleas Linked to Cooperation, Evidence - Destruction/Fabrication/Manipulation of, Selective Prosecution/Enforcement, Improper Comments, Official Report, Withholding of Exculpatory Evidence, Exculpatory Evidence - Disclosure Obligations.
- 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.

