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US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has commuted the prison sentence of a 63-year-old woman whose release had been championed by reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
Alice Marie Johnson, 63, had served nearly 22 years of a life-sentence for a non-violent drug offence.
Kardashian, the wife of rapper Kanye West, met with Trump at the White House last week to appeal for the release of the great-grandmother convicted of cocaine trafficking.
The White House said in a statement that Trump had commuted Johnson’s sentence and that she “has accepted responsibility for her past behavior” and been a “model prisoner.”
“Despite receiving a life sentence, Alice worked hard to rehabilitate herself in prison, and act as a mentor to her fellow inmates,” the White House said.
While this Administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance.
Kardashian welcomed the commutation of Johnson’s sentence in a series of tweets.
Fixing tough sentencing laws had been a priority of former president Barack Obama’s administration, but he failed to win congressional support, prompting a stream of presidential pardons and clemency actions.
Trump has so far taken a more hardline approach, advocating a “lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key” approach to criminal justice.
During his first year and half in office he has issued a number of pardons, however, mostly involving high-profile cases.
Opposition Democrats say Trump’s pardons — or hints to issue clemency — of political allies is meant to signal his present and former aides that they need not fear resisting the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 election campaign.
Last week, Trump pardoned firebrand conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, who was convicted of violating campaign finance laws.
He previously pardoned disgraced Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, a Trump supporter who violated a court order to halt traffic patrols targeting immigrants.
He also commuted the sentence of vice president Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby.
Trump issued a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, who was sent to prison a century ago in a racially charged case
The president has also signaled that he could similarly favor lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, who went to jail for making false statements in an insider trading case, and commute the prison sentence of Rod Blagojevich, a former governor of Illinois convicted of corruption.
Blagojevich, a Democrat, appeared on Trump’s reality TV show The Apprentice while Stewart once hosted a spin-off version of the show.
Trump on Monday even asserted a right to pardon himself of any crime.
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Bravo Mr Trump.
This was Alice Marie Johnson’s first offense, but she was given a life sentence without the chance of parole because ten of her co-defendants with prior testified against her in exchange for a reduced or dropped charges. It was a shocking sentence in the context of her involvement.
More importantly this pardon clearly demonstrates that Donald Trump’s presidency treats all Americans equally irrespective of race, creed or colour.
A Watershed moment in The Don’s stint in the White House which pprobably guarantees him a second term.
@Jack McGready: I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not with the watershed reference…
@Jen McCartney:
Funny isn’t it, even when the guy does something wonderful people are aghast standing with mouths open catching flies.
Political allegiances aside I think we can all agree that this is A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT in the Don’s presidency and a healing moment in the historical divide between white and black folk across that great country.
Paul McCartney put t succinctly in the song:
‘We all know that people are the same whereever you go
There is good and bad in ev’ryone
We learn to live, when we learn to give
Each other what we need to survive, together alive
Ebony and Ivory live together in perfect harmony ‘
Beautiful lyrics and a beautiful moment today. We can all be proud even though we’re only Irishmen.
@Jack McGready: This has to be a parody account. Brilliant!!!
@Mark Fitzmaurice:
‘Parody’
You need to check your unconscious cynicism Mark.
@Jack McGready: Jack you make a valid point but emotions expressed on this site will be eaten alive by the hyenas. Stick with your reason and logic.
@Joe Caulfield:
Maybe I’m an emotional fish Joe.
@Joe Caulfield: don’t feel too bad for Jack this is his bait laying modus. It IS great to see Trump listening to someone with compassion as this certainly wasn’t his idea and it’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t see the value in setting this woman free. Let’s give Donald a point for this one .
@Jack McGready: maybe you just got the brains of one?!
Watershed? The man’s a sexist racist narcissistic ignornant hypocritical bully of a temper tantrum toddler twot. It’ll take a lot more than this to make up for all insults, abuse and division that has come from that horrible man. And taking advise from another plastic twot…cop on will you!!
@Paul Furey:
‘ temper tantrum toddler twot’
Love the twangy alliteration there Paul.
@Jack McGready: I wouldn’t rule out trump scratching the wests family back after kanye endorsing him..It certainly played a part..cynical maybe but VERY convenient..regardless the outcome is great
@Dave Thomas: What did you get on the toxic scale for that one?
@Jack McGready: Ha Ha I thought you were being ironic, he is off course all inclusive, humane and just for his supporters.
@Jack McGready: Renting is a nightmare these days. Are you getting a reduced rate living in”Don’s” rectum.
@David Kelly:
Must be dirt cheap down in the cesspit of your subconscious Dave.
@Jack McGready: no he is still a muppett
@Jack McGready: says the man who fully supports an advocate of “pûssy grabbing. You need to be a special kind of dumbfûck to support this orange self serving megalomanìac.
Maybe he will do the same for the others that are only in there for pot..
@Dave Thomas: Drugs should be legalised. What people do with their own bodies is their choice. The war on drugs was a disgrace.
@Daniel Donovan: drugs can control a nation unless the nation controls drugs. For two centuries the British controlled China by feeding the populous opium.
Not a fan of the Kardashians but fair play to her. Ridiculous that this woman is in prison for life.
@DaisyMay: OFFS, give me a break, a woman famous for being famous advising the president of America, and he listened, What next.
@David Huston: I think he gawked not listened
@David Huston: obviously old tango head is getting something in return from the slapdashian. Maybe Kim West is going South??
You can just see the headline now.
Braindead twit saves junkies life by pleading with an umpa lumpa.
I thought you only seen those healines in the national enquirer.
Still no mention of the draconian sentences for small quantities introduced by Bill Clinton.
@Joe Caulfield: Trump was advocating the death penalty for drug dealers last week …
@DrRexButts: know ur history, it was mainly black politicians and lobbyists who pushed for harsher sentences to try and discourage drug use!
@Anne Marie Devlin: He is a great admirer of Duarte and his drug dealing solution
@Joe Caulfield: let’s not break the spell and bring up that ill conceived idea.
BEST USA PRESIDENT EVER !!!
TOAST the snowflakes!
@DAVID EIRE: seems like you just like him because others don’t which is weird.
Well who’d have thunk it one reality tv star doing what another reality tv star asked them . Sums up.trumps presidency for me.
“Well I’m blowed”.
The idiocracy has arrived, celebrity ass famous for having no talent meeting with another reality tv star who is also the president of the US to discuss prison reform. Time to pack up and leave the world has gone to shyte.
The priests in Ireland have a lot in common with Kim Kardashian. Who would have thought that?
@Cranky: apart from fat asses, what else do the have in common?
@Dermot Lane: Married to god?? or someone who thinks he is…
Send that girl over to sort out Brexit !
1 down several 100K to go.
He only did it for his Twitter account.
Trump can pardon himself? Is this what his supporters mean when they say ‘Trump can do no wrong’?
A brilliant decision. Doesn’t matter how he got to it, he did it. I’m concerned about the possibility of pardoning Martha Stewart though, she was jailed for insider trading and lying to the FBI. Pardoning someone for lying to the FBI right now would be a bad message for him to send while he and his campaign are under federal investigation.
America’s famous reality star meets Kim Kardashian at the White House
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