HOOD: 156 of Barbour’s Pardons Did Not Meet Legal Rules

File photo/Adam Lynch

Attorney General Jim Hood finds, so far, that only 21 out of 206 pardons by Gov. Haley Barbour met the legal requirement.

Jan. 19, 2012

Attorney General Jim Hood this evening released his latest findings about Gov. Haley Barbour's barrage of last-minute pardons. This is verbatim statement from Hood:

Jackson, MS—Attorney General Hood has filed a first amended complaint (copy attached) regarding former Governor Haley Barbour’s purported pardons.

This first amended complaint adds the names of Katherine Robertson, Kirby Glenn Tate, Aaron Brown, Joshua L. Howard, Azikiwe Kambule and John or Jane Does 1-200 to the original complaint against Nathan Kern, David Gatlin, Charles Hooker, Anthony McCray and Joseph Ozment. The defendants are currently identified as John or Jane Doe because the facts related to whether former Governor Barbour issued pardons to them in compliance with Section 124 of the Mississippi Constitution are not yet fully developed. The Attorney General will amend the complaint with specific names as his review progresses.

The Attorney General’s updated review of the 203 purported pardons (on the list as published by the Secretary of State) shows that 156 have NOT met the publication requirements of the State Constitution. One hundred and sixteen had insufficient publication (less than 30 days or less than 30 days prior to pardon) and another 40 (see list below) did not publish at all according to documentation provided by press outlets. Only 21 of the 203 purported pardons have been determined to have sufficient publication (see list below), meaning the Attorney General believes them to have sufficiently met the requirements of the constitution. These 21 persons will not be a part of the upcoming hearing scheduled for Monday, January 23 in Courtroom One of Hinds County Circuit Court. The Attorney General is still processing 26 files, most of which are awaiting verification of publication or non-publication from applicable newspapers.

“The law clearly says the applicant shall publish his or her petition for pardon for thirty days prior to the issuance of the pardon,” said Attorney General Hood. “We are wrapping up our review as quickly as possible, and preparing for Monday’s hearing.”

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LIST OF PERSONS WHO HAVE SUFFICIENTLY PUBLISHED

1. Mark Hubbard Allen
2. Thomas Beasley
3. Bobby Ray Camp
4. Ryan Jeremy Cooper
5. Louise E. Griffin
6. Barbara Hamilton
7. Emily Rebecca Hentz
8. Jerome Francis Jackson
9. John D. Jackson
10. Johnny McCool
11. Kevin McCullough
12. David Willard Newcomb
13. Zachary Polk
14. Norman Lee Redo
15. Barry Sanderson
16. Dawn Renee Schaefer
17. Jason Todd Shivers
18. Justin O. Smith
19. Scott McLean Smith
20. Alice Steed Triplett
21. Joel Vann

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