Shapiro says Biden commuting Kids for Cash judge's sentence 'absolutely wrong'

Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday said President Joe Biden “got it absolutely wrong” when he commuted the sentence of a former Luzerne County judge convicted in the “Kids for Cash” scandal.

Speaking at an unrelated press conference in Biden’s childhood hometown of Scranton — in a building on Biden Street, no less — Shapiro said that he disagreed with the decision the president made on Thursday in commuting the sentence of Michael Conahan, who was convicted in 2011 of sending children to prison in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks from a private jail.

“Governors and presidents have unique power to grant pardons and clemency and commute sentences. It is an absolute power, and it is a power that should be used incredibly carefully,” Shapiro said. “I study every single case that comes across my desk where there’s a request for a pardon or clemency or a reduction of sentence, and I take it very seriously. I weigh the merits of the case. I weigh what occurred in the court proceedings. I think about public safety and victims and all of those issues factor into my decision.”

“I recognize that those on the outside can question those decisions, as you are here today and posing a question to me as to the clemency granted by President Biden,” Shapiro added. “So I’ll offer these thoughts as an outsider, not privy to all the information he looked at, but I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Read more: https://penncapital-star.com/criminal-justice/shapiro-conahan-says-biden-commuting-kids-for-cash-judges-sentence-absolutely-wrong/

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I am still trying to figure out how this was allowed to happen. Did NOBODY review the names on this list? I understand this has a blanket commutation for those on home release for covid relief and had served 1 year of more on home release but you certainly could have cherry picked this guy out. In fact, he probably never should had been allowed home release, covid or no covid.