New York State
Defenders Association
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Suite 500
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 465-3524
FAX: 465-3249


 Updated:
Thursday, 5/27/10

• Current Developments
• Current Developments Outside New York
• Special Reports
• New York Clemency Decisions
• Research Links

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Current Developments_____________________________

• Governor Paterson Creates Panel To Review Cases Of Legal Immigrants Facing Deportation, Governor's Press Release (NY), May 3, 2010
• Governor Paterson Pardons Qing Hong Wu, Governor's Press Release (NY), March 6, 2010
• Paterson Pardon Aids Soldier In Bid To Join Police Department, New York Times (NY), December 29, 2009
• Tradition Of Granting Clemency, And Second-Guessing It, New York Times (NY), December 2, 2009
• Governor Paterson Grants Clemency, Governor's Press Release (NY), September 14, 2009
• Governor Paterson Grants Clemency To Two Inmates, Governor's Press Release (NY), December 31, 2008
   
• Hip-Hopper Is Pardoned By Governor, New York Times (NY), May 24, 2008
   
• Pataki Skips Parting Gifts: Outgoing Governor Declines to Offer Year-End Clemency to Any Inmates , Albany Times Union (NY), December 26, 2006
   
• Pataki Grants One Christmas Clemency, Associated Press (NY), December 24, 2005
   
• Hoping for Clemency This Christmas, New York Law Journal (NY), December 10, 2004
   
• Queens man serving sentence of 15 years-to-life under Rockefeller Drug Laws since 1992 has been granted clemency. Clemency in Drug Conviction, Newsday (Queens), December 24, 2003
   
• Four people were granted clemency based on exemplary records while in prison, including three convicted of drug crimes, and one victim of domestic abuse. Governor Pataki Grants Clemency to Four Inmates, Governor's Press Release (NY), December 24, 2002
   
• Governor's grants of clemency to drug offenders underscores need to change Rockefeller Drug Laws. A Needless Ritual: Once Again, Holiday Clemency Shows the Need for Drug Law Reform, Albany Times Union (NY), January 2, 2002
   

Current Developments Outside New York_______________

• High Court Says Gov’t Must Pay For Clemency Counsel, ABA Journal Law News Now (US), April 1, 2009
• Bush Pardons 15 And Commutes Another, Associated Press (US), March 25, 2008
• Clemency Bids Backing Up for Bush, Los Angeles Times (US), November 22, 2007
• No Holiday Pardon for Libby, Associated Press (US), December 11, 2007
• Pardon Me? A Congressional Pardon?, New York Times (US), May 7, 2007
• Bush Pardons 16, Commutes Sentence in Drug Case, CNN (US), December 21, 2006
• Dying Prisoner Granted Clemency , Chicago Sun-Time (IL), July 27, 2006
• President Bush Grants Pardons to 11 Individuals, US Newswire (US), December 20, 2005
• Justice Department Releases List of Pardons Granted by President Bush, US Newswire (US), September 28, 2005
• Bush Pardons 4, Bringing Total to 31, CNN (US), December 21, 2004
• President Pardons Six People, CNN (US), November 18, 2004
• Woman Freed After 22 Years in Prison , Los Angeles Times (CA), May 26, 2004
• Small Mercies, Washington Post (US), December 24, 2002
• Bush Pardons 7, Including Ex-Moonshiner, Associated Press (US), December 24, 2002
• [Supreme] Court Refuses Death Row Legal Aid Case, Associated Press (US), December 9, 2002
   

Special Reports___________________________________

NY CLEMENCY DECISIONS
This is a list of Governor Pataki's clemency decisions (including commutations, pardons or reprieves) drawn from press releases and other news sources. The Governor is required to "annually communicate to the legislature each case of reprieve, commutation or pardon granted, stating the name of the convict, the crime of which the convict was convicted, the sentence and its date, and the date of the commutation, pardon or reprieve." NY Const. Art. IV, § 4

2010
Qing Hong Wu	Robbery
Osvaldo Hernandez	Weapon Possession
2009
Wayne Prospect	Bribe Receiving
Joanne Carroll	Robbery
Freddie Warren	Rockefeller Drug Laws
2008
Ricky Walters	Attempted Murder
2007
No Applications Granted
2006
No Applications Granted
2005
Darryl Best	Rockefeller Drug Laws
2004
No Applications Granted
2003
Lenny Bruce	Free Speach
Emmanuel Nkemakolam	Rockefeller Drug Laws
2002
Eric Marsh	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Ernesto Melendez	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Victor Vaughn	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Linda White	Rockefeller Drug Laws
2001
Kleon Papadopoulos	Humanitarian Reasons
Samuel Roldan	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Richard Seager	Rockefeller Drug Laws
2000
Leah Bundy	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Donna Charles	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Migdalia Martinez	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Melita Oliveira	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Terrence Stevens	Rockefeller Drug Laws
1999
Elaine Bartlett	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Robert Bavisotto	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Patricia Feerick	Former Police Officer
Arlene Oberg	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Jan Warren	Rockefeller Drug Laws
1998
No Applications Granted
1997
Jose Lamberto	Rockefeller Drug Laws
John Staley	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Angela Thompson	Rockefeller Drug Laws
1996
Charline Brundidge	Domestic Violence
Wanda Collazo	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Loretta Evans	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Ira Green	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Hernando Mendez	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Eucharista Migliore	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Anthony Papa	Rockefeller Drug Laws
1995
James Dooley	Rockefeller Drug Laws
Judy Perez	Rockefeller Drug Laws

Research Links__________________________________ Information Concerning Executive Clemency (DOCS) Clemency Law (LLRX) NYS Parole Handbook (1998) (Section 9) Office of the Pardon Attorney (DOJ) Pardon Power Presidential Pardons (Jurist) Records Relating to Criminal Trials, Appeals, and Pardons, Information (NYSL) State by State Guide to Clemency (CJPF)