Outlaw Billy The Kid May Get Pardon

Outlaw Billy The Kid May Get Pardon

Governor Bill Richardson (Democrat-New Mexico) is considering a pardon for the Wild West 19th century bandit Billy the Kid (William Bonney), killed in 1881 by Sheriff Pat Garrett. The Kid was promised a pardon by territorial Governor Lew Wallace (better known as the author of Ben Hur),

in return for his cooperation on a law enforcement matter. He never received it. The mere consideration of a pardon for Billy the Kid has drawn opposition from descendants of both Pat Garrett and the bandit’s victims.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/Richardson–considers-pardon-for-Billy-the-Kid

While he was alive perhaps Billy the Kid deserved a pardon for his help. I couldn’t say. What good is a pardon when all the original parties are long dead and buried?

Perhaps, Governor Richardson could pardon the many New Mexicans incarcerated for victimless crimes such as marijuana possession, cultivation and sale. There is an interesting article by Julie Roberts earlier this year "Incarceration Is Not The Answer"

http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2010/03/incarceration-is-not-the-answer/ which reports " According to the New Mexico Administrative Office

of the Court’s Judicial Information Division, in 2009 alone 2,790 cases were filed in New Mexico charging people with marijuana possession.

Of those cases, almost 400 people were sentenced to serve time in our county jails, and about 200 people were put on probation.

When you crunch the numbers, this means that New Mexico taxpayers spent almost $1 million to make sure people with marijuana possession charges served an average of 20 days in jail or one year on probation."

Arrrests, let alone convictions, blight the lives not just of those under the boot of the War on Some Drugs, but their families, friends, business associates and others. This harm from the War on Some Drugs can continue for the rest of the lives of the drug war victims. 

Dear Governor Richardson, let the dead alone and help the living. Pardon marijuana offenders in New Mexico until the War on Some Drugs ends.

　

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About the author: Richard Cooper is an international trade executive with a manufacturing firm on Long Island, New York, USA. He is active in the Libertarian Party www.lp.org on eminent domain and other issues. He was chair of the Libertarian Party of New York http://ny.lp.org. He is supporting Warren Redlich, the Libertarian Party candidate for governor of New York www.wredlich.com/ny

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