Home Local News JACKLEY & JOHNSON ANGRY OVER BIDEN’S DECISION ON LEONARD PELTIER

JACKLEY & JOHNSON ANGRY OVER BIDEN’S DECISION ON LEONARD PELTIER

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SOUTH DAKOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL MARTY JACKLEY AND CONGRESSMAN DUSTY JOHNSON ARE BOTH ANGRY WITH FORMER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S DECISION TO COMMUTE THE SENTENCE OF CONVICTED MURDERER LEONARD PELTIER FROM LIFE IN PRISON TO SERVING THE REMAINDER OF HIS SENTENCE IN HOME CONFINEMENT.

PELTIER WAS CONVICTED IN THE 1975 SHOOTING DEATHS OF FBI SPECIAL AGENTS RONALD WILLIAMS AND JACK COLER ON THE PINE RIDGE RESERVATION..

IN 1977, PELTIER WAS FOUND GUILTY ON TWO COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND SENTENCED TO TWO CONSECUTIVE LIFE TERMS IN PRISON.

JACKLEY SAYS THE CONVICTION HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND UPHELD BY 22 FEDERAL JUDGES.SINCE THEN.

IN 2016, PELTIER’S REPRESENTATIVES PETITIONED PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA FOR CLEMENCY AND RELEASE, BUT OBAMA DID NOT GRANT THE PETITION..

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DENIED ANOTHER PETITION FOR A COMMUTATION OF PELTIER’S SENTENCE IN 2022 AND THE U.S. PAROLE COMMISSION DENIED PELTIER’S REQUEST FOR PAROLE IN JULY OF 2024.

FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY SENT A LETTER TO THE COMMISSION, URGING THAT DENIAL.

DUSTY JOHNSON SAYS THE DENIALS OF PAROLE ARE FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT PARDONING PELTIER’S SENTENCE IS SIMPLY A BAD DECISION.

File photo of Atty Gen. Jackley