[TheRealVille]

Outgoing Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is leaving office trailed by controversy about pardons -- issued over the course of his two terms in office -- to eight convicted killers who worked in the governor's mansion as "trusties."

Barbour, a major player in national Republican circles who last year briefly flirted with a presidential run, is returning to lobbying work after serving eight years as Mississippi's chief executive. Fellow Republican Phil Bryant, who served as lieutenant governor, is being sworn in as governor today.

This week, the Associated Press reported that Barbour pardoned four convicted killers, including a man who had been denied parole a few days earlier. According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Barbour during his two terms in office has pardoned a total of eight convicted killers, seven of whom were convicted of murder and one who was convicted of manslaughter.

Barbour has said that granting pardons to the convict trusties who work in the mansion is a decades-old state tradition.

Criticism has come from at least one of the slaying victims' family members as well as from Democrats. State Rep. Bobby Moak said in a news conference Monday that his fellow Democrats in the Statehouse would introduce a bill that would regulate gubernatorial pardons, the Clarion-Ledger reported. Another planned bill would prevent convicts convicted of capital murder from serving in the white-columned antebellum governor's mansion.

Five of the eight killers' victims were either their wives, former wives or girlfriends, according to Clarion-Ledger reporter Jessica Bakeman.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationno...sippi.html

[TheRealVille]

JACKSON, Miss. — In his final days as Mississippi governor, Republican Haley Barbour gave pardons or early release to nearly 200 people, including more than two dozen whose crimes were listed as murder, manslaughter or homicide.

State records released Tuesday show some of the convicted killers were pardoned, while others were given medical or conditional releases. Barbour had released five other convicted killers in 2008. One of them had been granted a conditional release and was pardoned this time.

Relatives of crime victims had voiced outrage Monday after it was revealed that Barbour had pardoned four convicted murderers. Those men had worked at the Governor’s Mansion as part of a prison trusty program.

The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office released a complete list of pardons and other executive actions Tuesday, Barbour’ last day. He had served two terms and couldn’t run again due to term limits.

In addition to those convicted of manslaughter and murder, Barbour gave early release to people convicted of drug crimes, DUI deaths, burglary and kidnapping. Many of the people were already out of prison or otherwise free.

Among those getting full pardons was the brother of former NFL quarterback and Southern Miss standout Brett Favre. Earnest Scott Favre had his record cleared in the 1996 death of his best friend, Mark Haverty. Favre had driven in front of a train in Pass Christian while drunk, pleaded guilty in 1997, and was sentenced to a year of house arrest followed by two years’ probation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/a...story.html

[TheRealVille]

Convicted murderer David Gatlin received a full pardon from outgoing Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.

(CNN) -- The outgoing Mississippi governor's full pardon of a convicted murderer has intensified fears that the man will try "to finish what he started," one of his surviving victims said.
"I feel like my safety is in jeopardy," Randy Walker, who was shot and wounded by convicted killer David Gatlin, said Wednesday. "I wonder if he's going to finish what he's started."
Gatlin walked into a trailer in 1993 where his estranged wife, Tammy Ellis, lived and shot her in the head as she held her 6-week-old baby in her arms. Walker, the woman's friend, survived a gunshot wound to the head. Gatlin was convicted of murder, aggravated assault and burglary of a residence.
In his last days of office, Gov. Haley Barbour pardoned Gatlin and three other men convicted of murder. Speaking in an interview with CNN's Soledad O'Brien, Walker and Tiffany Ellis Brewer, Tammy's sister, expressed concerns about the release and fears that Gatlin may intend to target them.
"I'm married and have a family again," Walker said. "I feel the safety for them is an issue. Anybody that might be with me at the time that he decides to do something would be in jeopardy."
Man fears for life after murderer freed Families outraged by Barbour pardons Miss. governor pardons 200-plus Convicted killers pardoned
Brewer said the governor hasn't responded to questions about why Gatlin was pardoned.
"He will not comment on anything. We have no answers as to why he has done this. I would like to think he did not have all of the facts of the case, if he did have all the facts," she said.
"Apparently, we haven't had a really good man for our governor."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/11/justice/mi...hpt=hp_bn1

[TheRealVille]

(AP) JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi judge has temporarily blocked the release of 21 inmates who'd been given pardons or medical release by Republican Haley Barbour in one of his final acts as governor.

Circuit Judge Tomie Green issued an injunction late Wednesday at the request of Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood.

Hood said he believes Barbour might've violated the state constitution by pardoning some inmates who failed to give sufficient public notice that they were seeking to have their records cleared.

Barbour said in a statement Wednesday, a day after leaving office, that he believes people have misunderstood why he gave reprieves to more than 200 inmates. Most received full pardons, while others received suspended sentences because of medical conditions.

"The pardons were intended to allow them to find gainful employment or acquire professional licenses as well as hunt and vote," Barbour said. "My decision about clemency was based upon the recommendation of the Parole Board in more than 90 percent of the cases."

Section 124 of the Mississippi Constitution says any inmate seeking a pardon must publish notice about his intentions. Before the governor can grant it, the notice must appear 30 days in a newspaper in or near the county where the person was convicted.

Hood said it's not clear whether all the inmates pardoned by Barbour met the publication requirement, and that he believes it's likely that some did not.

"It's unfortunate Gov. Barbour didn't read the constitution," Hood said Wednesday.

Mississippi Department of Corrections spokeswoman Suzanne Singletary told The Associated Press that five inmates let out over the weekend are the only ones on Barbour's list who had been released as of Wednesday evening. She said about 21 inmates who received pardons or early release were still waiting to get out. Processing paperwork generally takes several days because, among other things, the department has to give victims 48 hours' notice before an inmate is released.

Neither Barbour spokeswoman Laura Hipp nor Barbour's lead staff attorney, Amanda Jones Tollison, responded to questions about whether Barbour's staff verified that pardoned inmates had met the publication requirement.

Each of the five inmates released this past weekend had worked as a trusty at the Governor's Mansion. They are David Gatlin, convicted of killing his estranged wife in 1993; Joseph Ozment, convicted in 1994 of killing a man during a robbery; Anthony McCray, convicted in 2001 of killing his wife; Charles Hooker, sentenced to life in 1992 for murder; and Nathan Kern, sentenced to life in 1982 for burglary after at least two prior convictions.

Relatives of the killers' victims said they were outraged by the release, and some said they're worried for their own safety.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-5...-pardoned/

[RunItUpTheGut]

I seen this on yahoo the other day.
These end of the office pardons have got to go.
There definitely needs to be new laws set up keeping governors from doing this...

[nky]

This has ruined any hope for him to be elected again at any level.

Pardons are fine if they are used AFTER some one has served their time and have proven they are a changed person.

[mrsportsfan]

Whether you want to admit it or not, Bret Farve's brother getting that kind of sentence for that, doesn't look good on him.

[Hoot Gibson]

Haley Barbour was a great governor but pardoning murderers simply because they were trustees at the Governor's mansion during his term and such pardons are a tradition is wrong. However, I am opposed to robbing the president or governors of the power to pardon because that power serves to balance powers of the judiciary branches of state and federal governments. Except where pardons are sold to wealthy prisoners (e.g., Mark Rich), there should be no limits on the right of of the president and governors to grant clemency to prisoners at their sole discretion.