cannabisnews.com: Clinton Grants Pardons To 59 People Clinton Grants Pardons To 59 People Posted by FoM on December 22, 2000 at 13:13:34 PT By John Solomon, Associated Press Writer Source: Washington Post President Clinton granted pardons Friday to 59 people, including Dan Rostenkowski, the former chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee felled by a corruption scandal.The White House announced that Clinton also issued a pardon to Archie Schaffer III, an Arkansas chicken company executive ensnared in the corruption investigation of former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. And he commuted the sentences of three others, including two women entangled in drug cases who got lengthy prison terms because of mandatory sentencing laws, the White House said.Rostenkowski, an Illinois Democrat, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of mail fraud and was sentenced to 17 months in prison and $100,000 in fines back in 1996.It was the final act of a legal and political drama that began two years earlier when prosecutors probed the misuse of taxpayer funds.Prosecutors said Rostenkowski, long among the most powerful figures in Washington, used public funds to pay employees who did little or no work, and to buy personal gifts.Rostenkowski's pardon was a surprise – his name was not among those floating about town in recent weeks as Clinton's presidency draws to an end.The pardons are among the acts of presidential clemency that Clinton is weighing over the holidays. Others under consideration include former Wall Street financier Michael Milken and Whitewater figure Susan McDougal.Schaffer, the chief spokesman for the Arkansas-based poultry producer, was convicted by a jury under a 1907 law of trying to influence agricultural policy by arranging for Espy to attend a Tyson birthday party in Arkansas in 1993."I feel great. This is wonderful news," Schaffer said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his lawyer's office in Fayetteville, Ark. "I would have preferred to have been vindicated by the judicial system. We were prepared to continue battling that, but we're pleased with this outcome as well."Both Republicans and Democrats in his home state had urged Clinton to pardon Schaffer, arguing the spokesman was convicted under an obscure law by an independent counsel seeking to build a case against Espy. Espy was eventually acquitted.Even the federal judge who oversaw the case said he believed Schaffer was innocent and twice tried to acquit him, only to be reversed by an appeals court.U.S. District Judge James Robertson reluctantly sentenced Schaffer to a year and one day in prison and a $5,000 fine, the minimum that he said was allowed under the Meat Inspection Act. The extra prison day would have made Schaffer eligible for good-behavior credits that could free him nearly two months early, the judge said.Besides the pardon pleas, Schaffer supporters wrote nearly 100 letters to Robertson asking that he show leniency. Schaffer, the nephew of former Arkansas governor and U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., served in Bumpers' administrations and led a business group studying educational reforms during Clinton's tenure as governor.Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Tim Hutchinson, both Republicans, were among those who pleaded with Clinton to pardon Schaffer."I think Archie is deserving and that he's gone through a lot," Hutchison said. "I'm pleased with the president's decision. He's gone through trial after trial and appeals."The sentencing was one of the final items in Independent Counsel Donald Smaltz's six-year, $23 million investigation of Espy. Jurors acquitted Espy in December 1998.The officials said the two others Clinton planned to pardon are:–Kemba Smith, 28, of Richmond, Va., who had been sentenced to 24 years and six months in prison with no chance of parole for helping her boyfriend Peter Hall, head of a violent drug ring.–Dorothy Gaines, 42, of Mobile, Ala., who similarly received 19 years, seven months for her low-level role in a local drug ring. The men who actually ran it received more lenient sentences.Both women were subjects of a national campaign by women's groups and opponents of mandatory minimum prison sentences.Source: Associated PressAuthor: John Solomon, Associated Press WriterPublished: Friday, December 22, 2000© 2000 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:November Coalition: http://www.november.org/Criminal Justice Policy Foundation: http://www.cjpf.org/Families Against Mandatory Minimums: http://www.famm.org/Coalition for Jubilee Clemency: http://www.cjpf.org/clemencyPraying for Christmas Clemency: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8094.shtmlClinton Examines Clemency Cases: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8091.shtmlTis The Season To Free Nonviolent Drug: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8065.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by dddd on December 23, 2000 at 04:26:40 PT The lowdown http://www.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=15399 http://www.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=15399 [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Squirrel on December 22, 2000 at 21:32:31 PT Clinton The only reason people voted for him to be president was because he tried pot everyone thought he was a longshot at changing the prohibition psych [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on December 22, 2000 at 16:52:25 PT: (Jail)Birds of a feather So, Klinton let Susan McDougal out? And Rostenkowski, too, eh? And a slew of other people who have defiled their oaths of office, defrauded the American people, ransacked the savings of elderly retirees (Milken) and otherwise caused much more harm than ten thousand potheads ever could. He's letting out a few token drug offenders, but the vast majority of those he has released are from the political class. His kind of people.I guess he is hoping for the same kind of treatment when it's his turn...if ever. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 22, 2000 at 16:02:52 PT List of 62 People Granted Clemency I just found this information. I cut out all but drug offenses so it would fit in a comment section. Here it is!Story Filed: Friday, December 22, 2000 5:31 PM EST http://library.northernlight.com/The 62 people granted clemency Friday by President Clinton, with the year sentenced and offense, according to the Justice Department: Commutations of sentence: --Dorothy Marie Gaines, Alabama, March 1995, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, cocaine base. --Kemba Niambi Smith, Virginia, April 1995, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, making false statements to an agent of the United States. Pardons (59): --Harlan Richard Billings, Stonington, Maine, August 1985, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute is excess of 1,000 pounds of marijuana. --William Robert Carpenter, McMillan, Mich., November 1991, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. --Peter Welling Dionis, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., May 1976, conspiracy, importation, and possession with intent to distribute hashish. --Peter Bailey Gimbel, New York, February 1991, conspiracy to distribute cocaine. --Daniel Wayne Keys, Benton, Ark., September 1977, possession with intent to distribute marijuana. --Larry Ray Killough, Searcy, Ark., June 1985, unlawful distribution of prescription drugs. --Pierluigi Mancini, Alpharetta, Ga., October 1985, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. --Edward Francis McKenna III, Gulfport, Miss., January 1993, possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids. --Andrew Kirkpatrick Mearns III, Dallastown, Pa., March 1978, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. --Philip James Morin, Omaha, Neb., June 1984, distribution of cocaine. --John Russell Raup, Cohoes, N.Y., August 1984, larceny of government property and wrongful possession of marijuana, --Anthony Andrew Schmidt, Hays, Kansas, June 1985, conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. --Dent Elwood Snider, Jr., Santa Cruz, Calif., March 1981, use of a telephone to facilitate the distribution of cocaine. --Stephanie Marie Vetter, Riverdale, N.Y., July 1979, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. --Thomas Andrew Warren, Tallahassee, Fla., December 1975, conspiracy to import marijuana. --Charles Z. Yonce Jr., Edgefield, S.C., April 1988, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting therein. Copyright © 2000 Associated Press [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by RAS JAMES RSIFWH on December 22, 2000 at 15:44:45 PT WELL PARDON ME! MR. BILL MR. BILL...I SAW YOU ON MTV THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND SOME YOUNG PERSON ASKED, "YOU DID NOT INHALE THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE PASSED A JOINT. WHAT WILL YOU DO THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE PASSED A JOINT?"...AND YOU MADE A BIG FUNNY AND SAID LAUGHING, "NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN." (or words to that effect). SO A ALOT OF YOUNG FOLK LAUGHED AND THEN THEY VOTED FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE REAL...AND DOWN TO EARTH...AND NOT ABOUT BULL SHIT; BUT "YOU WAS A FAKE"; MR. BILL YOU WERE PANDERING FOR VOTES...HOW DO I KNOW THIS? BECAUSE YOU APPOINTED BARRY...AND THEN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MARIJAUNA SMOKERS AND GROWERS WERE ARRESTED UNDER YOUR WATCH AS PRESIDENT. SO MR. BILL...JAH RASTAFARI PARDONS YOU. NOW THAT MARIJUANA IS MANIFESTING AS THE TREE OF LIFE...REV 22 1&2...MARKING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITY OF GOD...EVEN YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, HAVE BEEN PARDONED. ENJOY YOUR ETERNAL REDEMPTION; AND GOD KNOWS IN YOUR CASE IT WAS GIVEN BY THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS. P.S. mr. clinton do you have any idea how to remove the bug up barry's ass. you know the marijuana roach you thought you had flushed down the toilet the other day. it got away and crawled up barry's anal cavity. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by ripper on December 22, 2000 at 15:34:14 PT Freedom I am glad to see some people getting out of thier long sentences, its about time. I hope this is just the begining of a long list of non-violent "drug offenders" that he will release. We can only wait and see. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on December 22, 2000 at 14:18:15 PT Made me angry I agree dddd,If you would have heard my husband when I found this article. The people that benefit from others miseries aren't the ones that need pardoned. I'm upset too.FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by dddd on December 22, 2000 at 14:07:45 PT crooks t's nice that he cut loose a few drug prisoners.Maybe 1 % of people rotting in jail for unjust drug sentences.But most of the people he cut loose were real crooks,who committed actual crimes against the American people.Political crooks dont deserve to be pardoned.The crimes they committed were far worse than the thousands of people who remain behind bars for victimless crimes.....dddd [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: