Kentucky's Santa Claus?: Fletcher delivers pardons and commutations.

Here is the press release:

GOVERNOR FLETCHER ISSUES PARDONS, COMMUTATIONS

Office of the General Counsel reviewed more than 1,000 requests

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Governor Ernie Fletcher has issued relief to the following individuals, pursuant to his legitimate and plenary powers under Section 77 of the Kentucky Constitution.

"The ultimate purpose of the pardon power is to grant mercy and ensure justice in exceptional circumstances," said Governor Fletcher. "It is also an integral part of the rule of law and the doctrine of separation of powers."

"The Governor directed me to review the files we received, and once an initial review had been completed, to then have a prosecutor and someone from the Department of Public Advocacy also review the files prior to the Governor’s final review," said General Counsel David Fleenor. "The pardons we have issued are a result of this thorough review."

Granted pardons were:

· Jonathan Ray Kirby of Morgantown

· Ronald W. Lindsey of Corbin

· Daryl Howard Littrell of Bromley

· Michael Jay Lundy of Louisville

· Raymond Banks of Campton

· Pamela Sue Luttrell of Versailles

· Donna Mae Dublin of Mayfield

· Charles Warren Headley of Hartsville

· Lucy Hooper Grillo of Lexington

· Patrick Michael Foley of Charleston, S.C.

· Charles M. Flora of Versailles

· David Cotton of Elkton

· Albert C. Cole of Elkton

· Christopher Alan Champion of Mayfield

· John Eugene Campbell of Lawrenceburg

· Dewey Campbell of Stanton

· Cordis A. Brown of Stanton

· Sherri Lynne Brooks of Walton

· Catherine A. Bendl of Louisville

· Roger Dale Hancock of Hopkinsville

· Elmer Hensley of Hyden

· Dorine Liebengood of Berea

· Frank Harscher III of Lexington

· Robert Witt Johnson of Irvine

· Paul Gordon Johnson of Winchester

· Clarence William Jarvis of Central City

· Lowell Dean Howard of Middlesboro

· Margaret R. Newsome of Versailles

· Timothy Kyle Merritt of Louisville

· Ronald Wayne McKenney of Georgetown

· James Allen Baker of Frenchburg

· John Lesler Barnes II of Jeffersonville

· Angela Dawn Curtis of Wickliffe

· Desmon Keith Dalton of Somerset

· Sammy Goble Doles of Eddyville

· Georgene Duke of Louisville

· Fred Ira Dunn of Pineville

· Michelle Joy Edrington of Louisville

· Anne E. Euin of Goshen

· Harry Wallace Garland Jr. of Hope Hull, Ala.

· Eric Dean Gribbins of Campbellsville

· Dale Thomas Hargrove of Hopkinsville

· Anthony Charles Call of Bardstown

· Billy Ray Burns of London

· Craig Daniel Burgie of Benton

· Sherri Ann Proffitt of Hestand

· William Keith Patterson of Windsor

· Leroy Lunsford Jr. of Stanford

· Eric Lynn Wells of Nortonsville

· John E. Steffey of Glasgow

· Alexander Felkel Shuler of Murfreesboro, Tenn.

· Jack Shepherd of Printer

· James Richard Scott of Morehead

· Sheila Y. Rucker of Louisville

· Sammie Edward Adams of Tompkinsville

· Charles G. Riley Jr. of East Bernstadt

· Jesse Raymond Jones of Magnolia

· Thomas Edward Perry of Lincoln, Ill.

· Martin Daniel Perrea of Parkville, Missouri

· Jack Shepherd of Printer

· Teresa Susan Jones of Magnolia

· Edward Alan King of Pine Knot

· Darryl Wayne Geis of Lexington

· Bryan Scott Denton of Gilbertsville

· Hyram Mitchell Page of Tompkinsville

· George Moorman of Lexington

· Larry J. Pitcock of Tompkinsville

· Edward N. Booze of Louisville

· Richard Leroy Woodyard of Fort Thomas

· John D. Wolf of Versailles

· Marvin Hal Webb of Rineyville

· Shelia Bernerdette Thompson of Las Vegas, Nevada

· Rickey Dell Thomas of Toldeo, Ohio

· Douglas Patrick Healy of Nicholasville

· Kenneth Donelson of Murray

· Eddie Wayne Todd of Mt. Vernon

· Timothy A. Conley of Elk Fork

· Alan Powell of Louisville

· Marion Ferris McClurg of Quincy

· Phillip Maurice Bedford of Louisville

· Leonard Hager of Berea

· Wayne Roberts of Booneville

· George E. Depew of London

Granted commutations were:

· Burgiss Harrison Yonts of Greenville

· Demon Brown of Hopkinsville

· Jeffrey Devan Leonard of Louisville

"I respect and appreciate the decision of Governor Fletcher to grant a commutation to Jeffrey Leonard,” said Ernie Lewis, executive director of the Department of Public Advocacy. “By his decision, the Governor has acted with conviction, compassion and courage. He has made his decision within the highest tradition of the Office of Governor. Commutation has always been a vital component of executive authority to ensure that justice has been done and power has not been abused. Executing Jeffrey Leonard would have been a significant and irrevocable injustice. Mr. Leonard was represented by a disbarred and indicted lawyer who did not even know Mr. Leonard's name. Mr. Leonard was a young, poor, brain damaged African-American man with no criminal history and about whom the jury was told nothing when they decided that he should die. According to the Department of Corrections, Mr. Leonard has an impeccable prison history and has been a model prisoner. The courts have been evenly divided on the question of whether his conviction and sentence were constitutional. If we are to have a death penalty, and I believe that we should not, we cannot implement it under the circumstances that have existed in this case."

The only one I am familiar with is Burgiss Harrison Yonts. He is the son of state Rep. Younts, and he drove drunk, killed a lady, and then left the scene of the accident. He was later tracked down and prosecuted before being given a long sentence this year. His commutation could mean that he goes FREE. I am NOT sure why Fletcher took a SPECIAL interest in the case. Could he be paying a political debt?

As for the others, I know NOT what their cases are. Does anyone?

More on Fletcher as Santa Claus.