Newsom commutes prison sentences, including for murder – Los Angeles Times, Latimes.com

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday pardoned five people who had already served their time and commuted the sentences of 25 state prison inmates, including more than a dozen convicted of murder or related crimes. The victims were children in two of the cases and a pregnant woman in a third.

The clemency requests were being considered before the coronavirus crisis, “and, as resources permitted, the governor decided to move forward with them, ”spokeswoman Vicky Waters said in an email.

Attorneys representing inmates asked federal judges this week to free thousands of inmates to help prisons better confront the pandemic, which has sickened one inmate and 18 employees. Newsom said mass inmate releases would further burden strained community healthcare systems and homelessness programs. But he stopped transfers into the system for 30 days.

Aside from his usual consideration of public safety and justice factors, Waters said that because of the pandemic the governor “also considered the public health impact of each grant, as well as each inmate’s individual health status and the suitability of their post-release plans, including housing. ”

Many of those given clemency or pardons were younger than 26 at the time of their crimes, and they have since participated in rehabilitation programs, Waters said. Most of the commutations allow inmates to seek parole, but release decisions will still be made by the Board of Parole Hearings.

Newsom’s commutations include (inmates convicted of murder or related crimes.

Suzanne Johnson, 75, of San Diego County has served years for assault on a child causing death, while – year-old Joann Parks of Los Angeles County has served 27 years but denies setting a fire in her home that resulted in the deaths of her three young children.

Rodney McNeal, , of San Bernardino County has served years for fatally stabbing his pregnant wife, a crime he also denies.

The others include:

• Kristopher Blehm, , of Santa Barbara County, who has served nearly (years for helping murder his crime partner’s romantic rival.

• Steven Bradley, , of Kern County, who has served 35 years for killing a gas station attendant during a robbery.

• Jason Bryant, 45, of Shasta County, who has served years for armed robberies, including one in which a victim was fatally shot by an accomplice.

• Rosemary Dyer, 75, of Los Angeles County, who has served more than 35 years for fatally shooting her husband.

• Samuel Eldredge, 61, of Humboldt County, who has served years for fatally shooting his crime partner’s housemate.

• Richard Flowers, , of Tulare County, who has served more than years for killing a woman during a robbery.

• Robert Glass, , of Los Angeles County, who has served more than (years for murder during a burglary.

• James Harris, 64, of Los Angeles County, who has served more than 30 years for a drug-sales-related kidnapping and the killing of two victims.

• David Jassy, ​​50, Los Angeles County, wh o has served 14 years for killing a man during an altercation.

• Shyrl Lamar , 75, of Sacramento County, who participated in a robbery in which her crime partner fatally stabbed two victims.

• Ramon Rodriguez, , of Los Angeles County, who has served 26 years after he was paid to kill a victim.

Two of the pardons are intended to help lawful immigrants who face the possibility of being deported based on crimes they committed years ago. Waters said that would be “an unjust collateral consequence that would harm their families and communities.”

One is Tri Thai, whom the governor’s office said was in 1999 when he was convicted of receiving stolen property and 21 when he was convicted of a gang-related assault with a firearm, second-degree burglary and attempting to dissuade a witness.

The other is Monsuru Tijani, who was convicted of perjury in 1994, check fraud in , submitting false financial statements in and submitting false financial statements in 2019. The governor’s office said he “has turned his life around,” but he faces religious persecution and possible incarceration if he is deported to Nigeria because of his conversion to Christianity.

The remaining three pardons are all Los Angeles County cases.

Gabriel Garcia and Shannon Thomas-Bland were separately convicted of drug offenses in their early-to mid – 22 s about three decades ago. Brenda Ibanez robbed two convenience stores in 2019, and in 2005 she tried to buy motorcycles with a fake driver’s license.