Gov. John Kasich has been a nationwide leader in death-row clemencies
While Gov. John Kasich has been much more sparing than his predecessor overall in granting clemencies to criminals, it's a different story when it comes to inmates facing execution.
Since he was sworn into office on January 10, 2011, Kasich, a Republican, has granted five of the nine death-row clemencies issued nationwide in death-penalty states.
It's also the same number of times Kasich's predecessor, Democrat Ted Strickland, has shown mercy to a death-row inmate.
In each of the five cases, Kasich commuted a murderer’s death sentence to life in prison.
When granting clemency, Kasich has offered a number of reasons for sparing their lives. For Shawn Hawkins and Arthur Tyler, they had questions raised about their guilt. Joseph Murphy had been abused as a child, while John Eley had a limited mental capacity. Ronald Post’s attorneys made sloppy mistakes and dubious decisions during his trial.
Mike Brickner, senior policy director for the anti-death penalty American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, said while he’d like to see Kasich issue more clemencies overall, he’s “pleased” with the number of death-row commutations he’s granted.
“Certainly on capital punishment commutation, the governor has been, I think, very thoughtful about these,” Brickner said.
Kasich denied an interview request for this story. But administration spokesman Rob Nichols said the governor takes care to examine each clemency request he receives and doesn't measure his record to what other governors have done.
"Each case is unique unto itself...and he tries to come to the best decision he can on it,” Nichols said.
Here’s a list of death-row clemencies granted in the United States since Kasich took office:
Death-sentence commutations nationwide since Gov. John Kasich took office*
Name Date State Granted by Richard Clay Jan. 10, 2011 Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon Edward Jerome Harbison Jan. 11, 2011 Tennessee Then-Gov. Phil Bredesen Shawn Hawkins May 12, 2011 Ohio Kasich Joseph Murphy Sept. 23, 2011 Ohio Kasich Robert Gattis Jan. 17, 2012 Delaware Gov. Jack Markell Daniel Greene April 20, 2012 Georgia Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles John Eley July 10, 2012 Ohio Kasich Ronald Post Dec. 17, 2012 Ohio Kasich Arthur Tyler April 30, 2014 Ohio Kasich
Source: Death Penalty Information Center
*Does not include 15 death-row inmates in Illinois who had their sentences commuted to life in prison in March 2011 when the state abolished the death penalty.
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