“President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of eight federal drug defendants on Wednesday, including four who were set to die in federal prison, as part of a new initiative to reduce harsh sentences for nonviolent crimes.
Sidney Earl Johnson, Jr., Rickey Marcell McCall, Larry Nailor and Israel Abel Torres had received life sentences and were going to die behind bars. But now Obama has commuted their sentences and those of four others who were convicted of drug crimes, and all eight inmates will be released in 2015.
Obama has taken heat for not making full use of his clemency and pardoning powers, and the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney has similarly been criticized for the way it has handled cases. Obama has now commuted the sentences of 18 people, which a White House official noted was more than either President Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush commuted during their administrations.”
Read more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/obama-clemency-drug-defendants_n_6343722.html
Cenk Uygur (http://www.twitter.com/cenkuygur) and Ana Kasparian (http://www.twitter.com/anakasparian) of The Young Turks discuss. Do you agree with President Barack Obama’s decision to grant these non-violent drug offenders clemency? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
Support TYT for FREE by doing your Amazon shopping through this link (bookmark it!)
http://www.amazon.com/?tag=theyoungturks-20