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discogeek t1_izjwgbp wrote

Let's be clear about this whole program, which I take as very well-intentioned but the forces-that-be aren't letting this work.

There's nothing (N-O-T-H-I-N-G) preventing Gov. Wolf from issuing a pardon during these final days of his administration to every single individual convicted under Pennsylvania law for marijuana possession and/or consumption without forcing people to go through this process that exposes them to embarrassment, bureaucracy and inefficiency.

We can see how effective this program is from the Inquirer article posted above, and one a few days ago. 90% of applications have been tossed. Legitimately, some are likely situations where "I was charged with 835 counts of murder, terrorism, looking snidely at a nun and marijuana possession, so I should have everything expunged." That's not what Wolf or anyone intended, and it just gives FOX News another point to bitch about how the libs are ruining their pearly-white two-child straight-white-middle class picturesque utopia.

I'm happy Wolf thought of doing this. I'm pissed he chose a mechanism that's putting the burden on Pennsylvanians to beg our own fucking government for mercy when none should have been needed. He should have done better.

That being said, I'm hoping he realizes how fucked up this program turned into and takes action into his own hands. I've never found Wolf to be anything less than a decent, rational person and chalk this up to good intentions and government not living up to serving its citizens.

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IamSauerKraut t1_izk9wdb wrote

>looking snidely at a nun

Were that unlawful, I'd be serving a life sentence.

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generalraptor2002 t1_izn3nu1 wrote

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the Pennsylvania constitution requires that the Board of Pardons (a 5 member board that meets every so often at the state Capitol in Harrisburg) approve a RECOMMENDATION for a pardon (3/5 for regular pardon and 5/5 for commutation of life sentence) before the governor can approve the pardon. These applications must be made by the individual.

I was at a board of pardons meeting in 2019. On the board were LT Gov Fetterman, AG Shapiro, and three others that I could not remember their names And left my notebook from that day back home and I’m at college right now. But anyway, a bunch of people serving life made their cases (via their representatives) for why they deserve to be released early. Some were granted, most were not. And unlike what the PA GOP would want you to believe, LT Gov Fetterman voted no on a bunch (some of them, from the case made and testimony given definitely deserve a second chance like the woman who drove her friend to a drug deal gone wrong, she got denied by 2 votes, LT GOV Fetterman voted yes, while some don’t deserve to be free ever again like the man who murdered another man in cold blood over a dispute and tossed his body into the River, he got denied unanimously)

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IamSauerKraut t1_izka2vx wrote

Why are people ticked at Wolf for a crappy piece of legislation? The legislature writes the legislation, not the executive. He signed it. It was better than nothing. At least for those 250 lucky souls.

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