NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Seventeen people, including six Middle Tennesseans, have been granted executive clemency by Gov. Bill Lee.
Gov. Lee's office said these individuals demonstrated a successful path to rehabilitation.
"After reviewing the unique merits of each case, I have made the decision to grant these individuals executive clemency," said Gov. Lee. "These men and women have shown they are ready for productive lives beyond their sentences, and I appreciate the Board of Parole’s consideration in this process."
The governor makes executive clemency decisions with consultation from the Tennessee Board of Parole. The board issues non-binding recommendations for each case.
There are three types of executive clemency: Exoneration, meaning the governor has found that the applicant did not commit the crime for which they were convicted; Pardon, an official statement of forgiveness of an offense; Commutation, a reduction in an applicant's sentence.
Of the 17 individuals, Gov. Lee granted 13 pardons and commuted the sentences of three others. As of Thursday afternoon, the governor's office has not posted the charges each of the individuals were convicted of.
He also granted exoneration to Adam Braseel, who spent 12 years in prison for murder. In an update to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's fingerprint database, new evidence showed Braseel's fingerprints were not a match in the crime.
