Voting fraud, another myth busted.
A former state senator convicted of lying about his residence and three refugees from Vietnam who could face deportation are among 38 people pardoned Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Brown’s pardons also include a man who just lost his Paradise home in a wildfire.
The Democratic governor also commuted the sentences of 70 people still serving time, including Walter “Earlonne” Woods, who co-hosts a podcast called “Ear Hustle” from inside San Quinton state prison.
Former Sen. Roderick Wright was convicted of felony charges of voter fraud and perjury in 2014 when a Los Angeles County jury determined he lived outside the district he represented. Some lawmakers at the time defended Wright, saying state law was ambiguous. The Legislature has since changed the law to make Wright’s situation legal, and the state Supreme Court cleared the way for the pardon this week.
Wright was sentenced to 90 days in jail then released almost immediately.
Brown’s pardons of refugees, all of whom arrived in the United States as minors, are his latest effort to help immigrants whose crimes could make them eligible to be deported. He said they’ve all completed their sentences and become upstanding citizens deserving of clemency.
The pardons don’t automatically stop deportation proceedings, but they eliminate the state convictions on which federal authorities might base deportation decisions. That gives the men’s lawyers strong legal arguments before immigration judges to try to prevent their removal from the country.