Word: pardon
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Your story on Caryl Chessman [Feb. 29] brought to mind Mark Twain's comments in Tom Sawyer: "The petition [for Injun Joe's pardon] had been largely signed; many tearful and eloquent meetings had been held, and a committee of sappy women been appointed to go in deep mourning and wail around the Governor, and implore him to be a merciful ass and trample his duty under foot. Injun Joe was believed to have killed five citizens of the village, but what of that? If he had been Satan himself, there would have been plenty of weaklings ready...
...last chance loomed last week. As public opinion poured its torrents on Governor Brown, two attorneys for Chessman made two final appeals for clemency to the State Supreme Court. The court turned them down, 4-3. Under California's law, the Governor may not issue a pardon or commutation of sentence for a two-time loser like Chessman over an adverse Supreme Court decision-but he can still give a reprieve. At the same time, California precedent holds that Pat Brown, had he wanted to grant clemency, could properly have so notified the court and probably swayed its decision...
Reading and thinking show signs of becoming almost lost arts today. Thank God (and I hope the people of Venice will pardon me the expression) there are people like Florence Russell, who are making an effort to revive them...