Source: United States Senator for Vermont Patrick Leahy
I urge President Biden to commute Leonard Peltier’s prison sentence and release him from federal prison. Peltier, a prominent Native American activist, was imprisoned for crimes he and many other legal experts and advocates maintain he never committed. His trial was so riddled with flaws that even one of the prosecutors trying him has acknowledged that Peltier was wrongfully convicted. Peltier, now 77 years old and ailing with multiple health problems, has served more than 44 years in federal prison. He is exactly the kind of individual who should be considered for clemency.
There is no doubt that our criminal justice system is imperfect, and Mr. Peltier knows firsthand just how imperfect it can be. I have long believed that pardons and commutations are vital tools to offer clemency and relief, particularly when our criminal justice system has been contorted to propagate injustices.
I call on President Biden to commute Mr. Peltier’s sentence expeditiously. It is the right thing to do.
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