Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe from Arkansas is poised to pardon his own son for a felony drug conviction from 2003 — for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
“It will probably be in the next few weeks,” said Matt DeCample, the governor’s spokesman, in CNN. “For any pardons the governor does, the person has to have finished all terms of their sentence … and then had a period of time where they’ve shown they have straightened their lives out.”
The governor has pardoned more than 700 already, most of whom were nonviolent offenders, KATV reported.
Kyle Beebe, 34, was fined and sentenced to three years of supervised probation for his drug conviction. The Arkansas Parole Board recommended his pardon a month ago, after the younger Mr. Beebe wrote the elder to ask for the action.
Mr. Governor, I am asking for a second chance at life,” he wrote, CNN reported. “I am asking for a second chance to be the man that I know that I can be. At the time of my arrest, I was living in a fantasy world, not reality. I was young and dumb. At that time in my life, I felt like I was missing something and I tried to fill that emptiness by selling drugs.”
The governor, meanwhile, said his son has grown tremendously since his conviction — so much so, that he said he would’ve granted a pardon a long time ago, had he only been asked.
“I would have done it a long time ago if he’d have asked, but he took his sweet time about asking,” the governor said, CNN reported. “He was embarrassed. He’s still embarrassed and frankly, I was embarrassed and his mother was embarrassed.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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