Rendell Strikes again - AP: Rendell's 1,000-plus pardons sets modern mark

[LTCcarrier]

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=7836632

He is a pardoning fool.

Rendell, a Democrat with about a month left in his second term, has granted 1,059 pardons, according to the state Board of Pardons. His office said 29 more await action on his desk, and he expects to consider 34 others by the end of the year.

[-JD-]

Emphasis mine:

The most common charges for which Rendell has issued pardons are shoplifting, other forms of theft and drug offenses. The dozens of pardons he has granted in 2010 include people convicted of possessing a weapon on school property, fraudulent use of credit cards, riotous destruction of property, prostitution, drunken driving and drag racing.
Many of Rendell's pardons come with conditions, commonly that if the offender is convicted of another crime, the pardon becomes canceled. Pennsylvania governors have had the authority to make pardons conditional since an 1844 state Supreme Court ruling.
Pardons restore an offender's legal rights, such as to possess a gun or eligibility to be hired, but do not expunge the record, a separate process that is handled in county courthouses.

Maybe not all all bad ...

Especially since a lot of get-tough posturing war on _____ BS has turned sneezing the wrong way into a M1 or felony.

[dc dalton]

Emphasis mine:


Maybe not all all bad ...

Especially since a lot of get-tough posturing war on _____ BS has turned sneezing the wrong way into a M1 or felony.

That caught my eye too BUT I would have to see it to believe it. Either that or he is trying to suck up to the gun lobby because he knows they are going to crucify him the next time he runs for anything.

[ungawa]

It's not so hard to believe. They were probably convicted of possession on school property while ROBBING people. That makes it more believable.

[schr8er2000]

The most common charges for which Rendell has issued pardons are shoplifting, other forms of theft and drug offenses. The dozens of pardons he has granted in 2010 include people convicted of possessing a weapon on school property, fraudulent use of credit cards, riotous destruction of property, prostitution, drunken driving and drag racing.

..

WHY does THIS one not surprise me....???

Maybe we know what his new job will be after he gets out of the governors residence ?????

[imashooter2]

..

WHY does THIS one not surprise me....???

Maybe we know what his new job will be after he gets out of the governors residence ?????

Can't blame a guy for pardoning his relatives.

[Siobhra]

When I came up in front of the Pardon Board the one's I saw being recommended were people who had done things many years before. And things where they had done a lot to turn their lives around. Remember, just one crime kills any chance to own a gun. Or work as a nurse since you work around drugs. Or with money at a job such as cashier, accountant, etc. I was trying to get a Pardon for several crimes. I had marched in a Civil Rights march when a line of mounted cops pushed us into a field with freshly made signs saying "no trespassing". Plead guilty to criminal trespass and pay a $25 fine and get out of town or sit in jail and take your chances on spending a year or two in jail.
And another where the state trooper said that if I did not confess and plead guilty he would 'out' me to my family and employer.
There were a lot of people like me who had gone back to school in their later years and were finding that the two or more years that they invested in school was a waste since no one wanted to hire them.
And it was fun watching the one's who were trying to get a pardon but did not seem to understand how to earn one. Like the one man who owned a string of day care centers and found that having a record meant he could not run a day care center. A new law had been passed that kept criminals out of the operation of day care centers to protect the kids. They asked him "what about all the speeding tickets you have had in the last few years?" "You are under suspension right now" "Now tell us why we should believe you should be pardoned when you still don't care much about following our laws?"

There were about 30 people trying for a pardon that month and about half did not get recommended. And to get that far took a lot. Only one in 50 even gets a hearing. The rest of them get rejected from even of a chance for a hearing.

[Elmar]

First in order to consider that these people did not deserve a pardon is to believe that over the course of his term it is impossible for over 1,000 cases to be handled poorly by our laws.

As I disagree with that premise I cannot comment negatively about the pardons.

[Siobhra]

The day I was there most of the case's very old case's. And they were for things like 'Retail Theft' where the sentence was for a fine and cost. A few for having gotten caught with 'Drug Paraphernalia'. Also a few DUI and possession of drugs.
A few got rejected.
One had an assault conviction and two firearms convictions.
The others for things like Receiving stolen goods and assault.
It looked to me that it was only petty crime done years ago. I am sure there are many, many more that should pardoned. I think that maybe we should be upset that more people did not get pardons.
Those of us watching and listening to the testimony being given felt that the pardons were a good risk. And that the state did a good job of weeding out the bad risk ones.
The hearings are open to the public in Harrisburg once a month. And for a person going for a Pardon they first get a case worker who does all the background checking of the person and the charges. The case worker also goes to your home to interview you. Then in a secret hearing the board decides who even gets a hearing. You do not have a "right" to have a hearing.

The Pardon Board was made up of.
the Lieutenant Governor
The Attorney General
A Victim Representative
A Psychologist
and a Corrections Expert.

How long did Corbett serve as an Attorney General and what was his voting record might be asked.

[The_War_Wagon]

Can't blame a guy for pardoning his relatives.

And a thousand more DEMOCRAP voters.