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02 Apr 2011 12:09

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U.S.: Rally at Mississippi Capitol for Scott sisters pardon

  • NO Haley Barbour won’t give the Scott sisters a full pardon source
  • » The Governor won’t have it: A rally was held outside the Mississippi State Capitol building yesterday, urging Governor Haley Barbour to grant a full pardon to the Scott sisters, Gladys and Jamie. It’s been 16 years since the two received double life sentences for armed robbery, a punishment that was absurdly severe even if presuming the sisters’ guilt- check out this great article by The New York Times’ Bob Herbert to brush up on the story. Barbour suspended their sentences indefinitely earlier this year, because Jamie had kidney disease and Gladys was offering a transplant, so they now have their freedom back. Barbour’s response on properly pardoning the two, though? “Tell ’em don’t save any space in the newspaper for that to be announced.”
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 May 2010 11:09

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U.S.: Key Supreme Court decision No. 2: Limiting life sentences for juveniles

  • 5-4 the Supreme Court’s decision, which says that juveniles can’t be sentenced to life in prison for non-murder crimes
  • 111 number of juvenile prisoners with sentences of this nature nationwide; 77 of them are in Florida alone source
  • » Quick analysis: Despite the fairly tight vote breakdown, this may be the less controversial of the two decisions announced today. (It was nearly 6-3, but Chief Justice John Roberts disagreed with the categorical ban of the sentences.) Most of the sentences of this nature were happening in one part of the country, and the prisoner at the center of the case, Terrance Jamar Graham, was sentenced to life in prison on a 2005 parole violation after he took part in an armed robbery – a harsh sentence for a case of that nature.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2009 10:44

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U.S., World: The three wannabe airline bombers got life sentences

  • “The most grave and wicked conspiracy ever proven within this jurisdiction.” Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar and Tanvir Hussain, the three men responsible for forcing you to carry your liquids in plastic bags, have each been sentenced to life in prison for their attempted 2006 trans-Atlantic airline attack. The three were convicted of a murder plot in the U.K., though they claim it was for a political statement. Each must serve at least 32 years before being eligible for parole, with Ahmed Ali having to serve at least 40. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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