In December, 2007, clinic student Sarah Hovland presented a Petition for Clemency to the Washington State Board of Pardons and Clemency.
The clemency process is a non-judicial, statutory process that allows people convicted of crimes to seek a reducation in all or part of their sentence based upon extraordinary circumstances. The statute empowers the governor to exercise discretion in awarding clemency to deserving applicants. The governor appoints a board to screen applicants, hold hearings, and make recommendations.
Ms. Hovland spent several months investigating the background of a case which resulted in the client, Jeremy Johnson, being sentenced to a prison term of 30 years for his participation in a shooting when he was 17 years old. The client did not shoot anyone but was with another individual who did. The shooting resulted in serious injuries to three people. Mr. Johnson has now spent 12 years in prison. He is 30 years old, has an impeccable record of good conduct while in prison, has earned a college degree, and has worked for many years as a lay minister to other inmates.
Ms. Hovland filed a petition supported by declarations and legal argument documenting why Mr. Johnson was a good candidate for clemency. The Board scheduled a hearing in Olympia. Ms. Hovland appeared at the hearing together with approximately 20 of the client’s relatives and friends. She presented an organized, detailed, and persuasive argument designed to distinguish the case from the hundreds of other clemency petitions routinely filed by prison inmates.
The Board delivered its decision immediately following Ms. Hovland’s presentation. The decision was to recommend that the governor reduce the client’s sentence from 30 years to 22 years. The governor has not yet acted upon the board’s recommendation. If the governor’s decision is favorable, the client should be released, with good time credits, in about five years.
Congratulations to Sarah Hovland for her hard work and efforts in trying to make a difference in the life of an individual who has paid dearly for his youthful mistake.
