President Barack Obama on Tuesday commuted the sentence for one of the leaders of a notorious New Orleans drug gang known for trafficking cocaine and other crimes.
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James Dillehay, Akron. He was sentenced September 10, 1993, to life in prison for conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine.
“We must remember that these are individuals – sons, daughters, parents, and in many cases, grandparents – who have taken steps toward rehabilitation and who have earned their second chance”, the White House counsel stated.
Tuesday’s action raised the number of commutations in August to 325, the most granted by any president in one month, according to the White House.
The 111 commutations announced today were in addition to 214 commutations announced earlier this month. Some observers expect more commutations will follow before the end of Obama’s term, and Yates confirmed it in her statement: “W$3 e expect many more men and women will receive that same opportunity in the months to come”.
The White House also took the opportunity to remind Congress that meaningful criminal justice reform can only happen through new legislation. Such legislation has stalled, undercut by a rash of summer shootings involving police and the pressure of election-year politics.
For some of the convicts, the commutations mean they will serve only half of their original prison sentences. For the protection of AP and its licensors, content may not be copied, altered or redistributed in any form. Most are set to be released December 28.
Three other Californians, Barry Renfold Cooley of Los Angeles, Richard Van Winrow of Los Angeles and Orfil Javier Garza of Pacoima also received commuted sentences from the president. Most of the inmates were serving long terms for drug offenses because of mandatory sentencing minimums and harsh drug laws.
Clemency Project 2014, a working group that includes the American Bar Association, had supported 72 of the clemency applications.
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Obama’s goal with most of these clemency grants is to apply the same sentences to nonviolent drug offenders as if they were convicted today. Another 61 people saw their sentences commuted in May.
