FAMM member Richard Paey given full pardon by Florida Gov. Crist
FAMM member Richard Paey given full pardon by Florida Gov. Crist
Hallelujah! Free at last…free at last! Thank you Governor Crist and members of the Florida Cabinet.
Attention FAMM members: Today, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet voted unanimously to grant Richard Paey a full pardon for his 2004 conviction under Florida’s mandatory drug trafficking statute for illegally obtaining and possessing the prescription drug oxycodone. He received a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence that was too severe in light of his personal circumstances (click here to read his profile on the FAMM website). Gov. Crist ordered that Richard be freed today. Read about the emotional hearing before Gov. Crist and the Florida cabinet in this article from the St. Petersburg Times. We rejoice with Richard Paey and his family (shown at right, with one of his three children). His case generated national news about the injustices of mandatory minimum sentencing laws. In Florida, other states and on the federal level, mandatory sentencing laws must change! Judges should have discretion to consider the facts in each case and then apply a fair and proportionate sentence to each defendant. On Capitol Hill and in legislatures around the country, FAMM is working to repeal mandatory sentencing laws by highlighting cases like Richard Paey’s. Unfortunately, he is just one of tens of thousands of nonviolent, low-level prisoners serving unduly harsh prison sentences because of mandatory sentencing laws. Letters from Florida FAMM members to Gov. Crist showed helped free him. Now you can thank Gov. Crist for showing mercy to Richard Paey. Click here to thank Governor Crist. We need your help to build the sentencing reform movement nationwide. Numbers count and we need as many people as possible to build our ranks and demonstrate that Americans do support fair and proportionate sentencing laws. Start now by forwarding this email to your loved ones and ask them to join FAMM. Today we celebrate Richard’s freedom and his reunion with his wife Linda and their children. Tomorrow, we work to change all mandatory minimum sentences!
Sincerely yours, Laura Sager
FAMM Director of State Legislative Affairs
