Terrific news today.
Richard Paey, one of the worst victims of the War on Drugs, has just been pardoned.
The state’s parole commission recommended denying clemency for Paey, who was only seeking to have his prison sentence commuted. But after his lawyer, wife and four children wept and pleaded for Paey’s release, [Florida Governor Charlie] Crist and the Cabinet went further than Paey expected by unanimously agreeing to grant him a full pardon — meaning he’ll have the right to vote and carry firearms.
There are even signs that the Florida justice system’s cruel treatment of Paey will lead to some reforms in the state’s drug laws and criminal procedures.
The state’s parole commission recommended denying clemency for Paey, who was only seeking to have his prison sentence commuted. But after his lawyer, wife and four children wept and pleaded for Paey’s release, Crist and the Cabinet went further than Paey expected by unanimously agreeing to grant him a full pardon — meaning he’ll have the right to vote and carry firearms.
They also acknowledged that the state’s drug laws might be unfair.
”This is not a pleasant case,” said Attorney General Bill McCollum, who noted that he supported mandatory-minimum sentences when he was in Congress. “Our laws are very much to blame.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Paey’s situation, I summarized the whole awful mess here.
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