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Arkansas governor to pardon son on drug charges

RogueWarrior

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Arkansas governor to pardon son on drug charges - CNN.com

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe plans to pardon his son for a felony drug charge from more than a decade ago. "It will probably be in the next few weeks," said Matt DeCample, a spokesman for the Democratic governor.
"For any pardons the governor does, the person has to have finished all terms of their sentence ... and then had a period of time where they've shown they have straightened their lives out."
Kyle Beebe, who is now 34, was convicted in 2003 of possession of a controlled substance -- marijuana. He was fined and sentenced to three years supervised probation, according to CNN affiliate KATV.
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Governor: He was embarrassed, he still is
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Pardoned: 12 famous & controversial


The Arkansas Parole Board recommended the pardon last month. It came after Kyle Beebe wrote a lengthy letter in his pardon application.
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I guess this is a second place enabler when compared to the afluenza kid'd parents.

WTF dad.
 
I was all ready to be outraged when I first saw this headline today. But after reading it I am ok with it. It was marijuana. It was over a decade ago and his son did his time and has been in good standing ever since, unless my info is wrong. And since this governor has pardoned over 700 people over the years we can't even say his son was getting special treatment.

Given all of that I would do the same thing if I was in the governor's place. Now, an argument could certainly be made that it shouldn't be legal for a governor r president to pardon family members.

Also, the governor better damn well approve any and all pardon requests that come across his desk that meet the same criteria.
 
I'd do the same thing, and wouldn't lose any sleep.
 
He should do he same for all marijuana offenders.
 
Not really a big thing.
 
Unless his pardon powers exclude family what's the big deal? Especially given that he's pardoned lots of people.
 
Gaius46 said:
Why? Son shouldn't be penalized because of who his father is. It doesn't seem in any way to have been preferential.
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I read the pardon application and would agree. It was alittle hard to read the handwritten part but it seems the police were at his house, not sure how or why, and there was 2 oz of weed out in the open and when he arrived he was arrested and charged with possession and distributing and received probation. I don't see the big deal and no reason he shouldn't have been pardoned. The son seems to have grown up and learned from his mistakes, which we all make and I can relate to his. It was sad reading though his little girl was diagnosed with cancer at 11 weeks, now she is 4 so I wish the best for him and his family.
 
everyone convicted of non-violent possession should get full pardons, and they should have their records expunged. the only mistake here is that he only pardoned his kid and like fifteen other people. he should have pardoned everyone convicted of possession, not just his kid.

no one should have their life ruined for having some weed. probably most politicians and police officers have done pot at some time, so the hypocrisy is overwhelming. it needs to be legalized nationwide at the federal level so that backwards assed states can't keep busting people for a stupid victimless crime.
 
The son with his conviction was probably barred from working for the state. 2 problems solved, smart dad.
 
Hatuey said:
I don't have a problem with this. Why should his son be treated as a criminal for the rest of his life? He was charged/convicted 10 years ago. Time for the system to let him go. As a father, I would do the same if it were my kid and I had the means to make it happen.
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This level of compassion and reasonability shouldn't be limited to sons of governors.
 
This is corruption and hypocrisy at its finest. There is a very valid argument to stop ruining the lives of non-violent marijuana users. Pardoning the governors run while his father continues to criminally charge other kids for the same offense is completely and utterly unacceptable.
 
I have to say, in a country founded on the belief that all people are created equal and opposed to government ruled by a corrupt sovereign, I find it passing strange that the US has provisions for a "king/queen" to pardon his/her subjects on a whim without sanction by a court or legislature.

No one person in a democracy should have the power to overturn the decision of a jury and justice in a court of law, period.
 
Over a decade ago, why the need for a pardon in the first place? He'll still have to answer yes to the "have you ever been arrested/convicted" question on employment applications.
 
Middleground said:
Is it not a conflict of interest?
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Sure, I'd say it probably is.


Two reasons I don't think it is a big deal....

1. I am reasonably sure most politicians do a lot worse.

2. If I was him I'd do the same for my son under the same circumstances, and if it cost my political career, then so be it.


If he gets dinged for some kind of ethics violation, so be it. I'm just not gonna throw the first stone when I would have done the same though.
 
clownboy said:
Over a decade ago, why the need for a pardon in the first place? He'll still have to answer yes to the "have you ever been arrested/convicted" question on employment applications.
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A pardon from a governor can be the difference between getting that job and being seen as a pariah for the rest of your life.
 
Goshin said:
Sure, I'd say it probably is.


Two reasons I don't think it is a big deal....

1. I am reasonably sure most politicians do a lot worse.

2. If I was him I'd do the same for my son under the same circumstances, and if it cost my political career, then so be it.


If he gets dinged for some kind of ethics violation, so be it. I'm just not gonna throw the first stone when I would have done the same though.
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I appreciate your honesty and reflection, I truly do. I just think it's a sad state of affairs when we think (trust me I do the same with the idiots we elect here in Canada) when we pull the "the other guy does a lot worse, so it's okay." It really shouldn't be because of the following: other Americans, with the same type of record, will not get the privilege of pardon because their parents -- who probably love them as much -- do not have the power to do so. It's not fair... they are not fortunate sons, yet they are just as American as the other. I feel compassion for the son, it seems like he's turned over a new leaf. But to me, he should not be pardoned over any one else who is equally deserving or even more deserving.
 
Hatuey said:
and it isn't... he pardoned 700 other people.
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I'm fairly certain that there are more than 700 citizens of Arkansas with non violent criminal histories.
 
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