December 2017: Gov. BROWN COMMUTED 19 inmates, INCLUDING 9 LWOP

A big Thank you to Life Support Alliance (LSA) P.O. Box 277, Rancho Cordova, CA 95741 for this enlightening article; and who continuously provides up to date information that impact Lifers across California currently under the Executive Branch of Gov. Brown’s office.

The excerpt below is provided as a courtesy from LSA and they can be reached at  lifesupportalliance@gmail.com


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A few days before Christmas 2017, Governor Jerry Brown, taking a page from Santa Claus’ book, delivered some pretty big Christmas presents to many former and current prisoners, handing out a whopping 132 pardons to former inmates, and reducing the sentence of 19 current prisoners.

In a truly life-changing move, nine (9) of the commutations offered LWOP inmates the hope of parole, by changing their sentences to life with the possibility of parole.

These eve of Christmas Eve announcements nearly doubled Brown’s total commutation number for the year, to total of 35 commutations in 2017, 15 of those LWOP inmates.

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Attorney Richard Pfeiffer: A big Congrats to our colleague!


Law Office of Rich Pfeiffer       Website:    http://highenergylaw.com/
14931 Anderson Way
Po Box 721Silverado, CA, 92676


Interestingly, one of the pardons issued by Brown was to Richard Pfeiffer, released in 1994 after serving a bit less than 2 years for robbery and burglary. Why, in the 132 pardons issued, is this notable?

Because Pfeiffer went on to become not only an attorney, but an attorney who represents lifers at parole hearings and does incredible Oral arguments in the Court of Appeals. Since Pfeiffer’s release  Governor Brown noted he has:
“lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character and conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen.”

The Governor also noted Pfeiffer has also provided pro bono assistance to several criminal justice organizations.
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For those still inside, the news was equally positive. Several of the 9 LWOP inmates touched by the Governor also fell under the umbrella of YOPH and 7 were women prisoners.

The commutations also included one third-striker (3X). Most LWOP sentences were commuted to sentences of 25 to life with the possibility of parole, meaning many will appear before the board within the next handful of years.

In noting his reasons for commuting the sentences of both LWOP and other inmates, the Governor noted all had been exemplary prisoners, most never receiving any RVRs, being heavily involved in, and in some cases actually creating, self-help programs. Many were able to submit letters from prisons staff, including wardens, in their commutation petitions.

 In detailing his reasons for providing potential relief for many of the female inmates, Brown noted they had been victims of intimate partner battery, situations that likely contributed to their actions in committing their crimes. Intimate Partner Battery (aka BWS) has long been recognized as a mitigating factor in criminal actions, though most of the women affected by the Governor’s pardons were sentenced prior to this [battered women syndrome] (BWS)  being recognized by the legal community.