Murderers, robbers, rapists, molesters are currently walking the streets of Mississippi — legally!
Thanks to a “good-ole-boys” tradition of amnesty, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour used his last official act as governor to pardon and release these inmates into society, without the courtesy of offering prior warning to the victims and/or their families. Now, everybody is crying foul!
The shocking wave of pardons by the Republican former governor is part of a long standing Mississippi “tradition” that is being called into question. A select group of inmates are chosen to work inside the governor’s mansion. These inmates have direct access to and conversations with the governor, providing them a unique opportunity to plead their case for clemency. As one recently released inmate told CNN, if you get chosen to work as a trustee for the governor, you’re practically guaranteed a pardon!
Among the perks of a full governor’s pardon, include the crime being fully expunged from the inmate’s record, providing them the opportunity to vote, run for political office, or even purchase and own a firearm.
Barbour granted full pardons or clemency to about 200 people, including convicted shoplifters, rapists, burglars, and embezzlers, as well as 14 murderers. The pardons included high-profile convicts such as socialite Karen Irby and Earnest Scott Favre, the older brother of retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, both convicted of DUI-related deaths.
Democrats and most members of the general public were outraged, prompting a judge to step in last week and keep some of the prisoners behind bars. According to State Attorney General Jim Hood, Barbour violated the Mississippi Constitution by neglecting to give the public 30 days’ notice before the criminals were pardoned. He also failed to notify victims and their families in advance of the pardons, so as to give them time to comment. “He’s tried to rule the state like Boss Hogg,” Hood said, “and didn’t think the law applied to him.”
