Whitmer grants 22 clemency requests, including 4 pardons

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday granted 22 requests for clemency by people convicted of crimes in Michigan, marking the first pardons issued during her first term in office.

Of the 22 granted clemency requests, four were pardons, meaning the convictions have been set aside. The rest received commutations — their sentences were reduced and they are now eligible for parole consideration.

Many of those who had their clemency requests granted were in prison for nonviolent drug offenses and other nonviolent or unarmed crimes. Some were victims of human trafficking or domestic abuse when their crimes were committed.

Applications for pardons or commutations are filed with the Michigan Parole Board and are reviewed by the board on a case-by-case basis, according to the governor's office. If the board recommends a pardon or commutation, the recommendation is sent to the governor's office for final review and a decision.

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“As a former prosecutor, I’ve worked with law enforcement and criminal justice advocates to build a smarter and more equitable justice system within our state,” Whitmer wrote in a statement.

“People should take responsibility for their actions and pay their debts to society if they’ve made a mistake, but I’ve also firmly believed that people deserve second chances. In Michigan, we will continue to improve our system of justice to support law enforcement as they do their job, while ensuring that all Michiganders are treated fairly and equally under the law.”

A list of the four individuals who received pardons and descriptions, provided by Whitmer's office:

• Jason Boyd Johnson completed time for a nonviolent offense committed as a teenager. He is gainfully employed and has maintained a clean record for decades.

• Leslie Fontain King  completed time for offenses committed while a victim of human trafficking. She is currently an advocate for sex trafficking victims and serves on the board of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force. She founded a home for sex trafficking victims in Grand Rapids. Both Attorney General Dana Nessel and former Attorney General Bill Schuette supported a pardon.

• Frank Rodriguez  completed time for a drug offense before having his sentence commuted by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2010. He is gainfully employed and received support from his community for the pardon.

• Sharif Ribhi Shamroukh was not sentenced to jail time and has completed probation for a financial offense.

A list of the 18 individuals who received commutations and descriptions, provided by Whitmer's office:

• John Eric Aslin was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after the victim of an unarmed burglary later had a heart attack and died. He served 38 years.

• Antwon Lamont Biffle was sentenced to 18-40 years for a nonviolent drug offense. He has served 15 years.

• Jimmy Burden was sentenced to 60-100 years for a robbery in which $16 was taken. He has served 39 years.

• LaDon Demarco Cloud was sentenced to 40-100 years for a nonviolent drug offense. He has served 22 years.

• LaDonna Renee Cummings was sentenced to life without parole. She is a victim of domestic violence and has served 15 years.

• Lawrence Dantzler was sentenced to 50-100 years as an accomplice to the commission of a crime. He has served 37 years.

• Alvin Antonio Jones was sentenced to 24-50 years for a nonviolent drug offense. He has served 17 years.

• Willie Roderick Kincaide was sentenced to life for a nonviolent drug offense. He has served 27 years.

• Michael Landers was sentenced to 15-30 years for possession of cocaine. He has served 9 years.

• Monica Lateace McCain was sentenced to 28-65 years for an unarmed robbery in which the victim fell to the ground and passed away days later from a brain injury. She has served 17 years.

• James Michael McClain was sentenced to 25-60 years for a nonviolent drug offense. He has served 18 years.

• Keith T. Robinson has maintained his innocence and has served 25 years.

• Hugo Loaiza Rodriguez was sentenced to 25-60 years for a nonviolent drug offense. He has served 16 years.

• Raymond Saenz, Jr., was sentenced to life for a non-violent drug offense. He has served 27 years.

• Brian Deangelo Sanders was sentenced to 22-40 years for a nonviolent drug offense. He has served 14 years.

• Eboni Renee Spight was sentenced to 28-65 years as an accomplice to Monica Lateace McClain. She has served 17 years.

• Lu Anne Szenay was sentenced to life without parole. She is a victim of domestic violence and has served 32 years.

• Donyelle Ferdinand Woods has maintained his innocence and has served 17 years.

Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442, asahouri@freepress.com or on Twitter @andreamsahouri.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer grants 4 pardons, 18 sentence commutations