President Commutes Life Without Parole Sentence of 老澳门开奖结果 Client Ricky Minor

October 6, 2016 5:00 pm

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WASHINGTON 鈥 President Barack Obama today commuted the sentences of 102 people, including Ricky Minor, 53, who has been serving life without parole for a nonviolent drug offense since 2001. The 老澳门开奖结果 represented Minor in his application for clemency and featured him in the report 鈥A Living Death: Life Without Parole for Nonviolent Offenses.鈥

鈥淩icky Minor was supposed to die in prison because he committed a nonviolent drug offense鈥攁 punishment far too harsh for the crime,鈥 said Emma Andersson, Minor鈥檚 attorney and staff attorney with the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Criminal Law Reform Project. 鈥淢ore than 15 years after Ricky was sent to prison forever, President Obama has given him a chance to rejoin his family and rebuild a life ravaged by the failed War on Drugs.鈥

鈥淚 have become a better man over the last 15 years, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be the person I am now out in the world,鈥 said Minor upon the news of his commutation. 鈥淭hanks to President Obama, I now have the chance to make my family proud of me, earn pride in myself, and be a person in society who is helpful and useful. I have felt my life wasting away inside of this place, and I know I鈥檓 capable of more. I haven鈥檛 been able to hug my daughter as a free man since she was 7 years old. She鈥檚 an adult now, and I am overcome with happiness that I won鈥檛 miss any more of her life.鈥

Minor was sentenced to mandatory life without parole for attempting to manufacture methamphetamine. As he issued Minor鈥檚 sentence, Judge Clyde Roger Vinson told the court, 鈥淚f I had any discretion at all, I would not impose a life sentence鈥︹

While in prison, Minor has earned his GED and taken classes in computer skills, business, real estate, and accounting.

For 鈥淎 Living Death: Life Without Parole for Nonviolent Offenses,鈥 visit:
/report/living-death-life-without-parole-nonviolent-offenses

For more information about Clemency Project 2014, visit:

For more information about the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Criminal Law Reform Project, visit:
/issues/criminal-law-reform

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