New Jersey: 14 Pardons

It is reported that Gov. Corzine spent his "last few hours in office" granting clemency to 14 people, including Quincy Spruell, who was convicted of murder in 1985. Some "legal experts" say Spruell (who was sentenced to 30 years in prison) did not actually commit the murder. No matter for the Boston Herald headlines: "NJ Governor Releases Murderer." A former Councilwoman, Dana Rome, can now run for public office. 12 others were "nonviolent offenses" whose convictions were at least a decade old. See story here and here and here.

New Jersey Real Time News offers these additional insights:

Corzine also issued 12 pardons for non-violent offenses that were at least a decade old, including drug cases. He made his decision after a "careful and deliberate" review of more than 400 requests, according to the governor's office. “At a certain point, we have to ask, in fairness, what should a decades old criminal conviction mean to someone’s future, and how should we allow it to be used for employment and other purposes," Corzine said in a statement. These are Corzine's only pardons and clemencies of his term, except when he cleared death row by abolishing the death penalty in 2007.

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