The Texas governor’s pardon of a former Army sergeant who fatally shot a Black Lives Matter demonstrator undermines the state’s legal system and constitution and should be reversed, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza said he is filing request with the Court of Criminal Appeals — the state’s highest criminal court — to review the pardon issued by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, which he said made a mockery of the legal system and put politics ahead of justice.
“We will continue to use the legal process to seek justice,” Garza said during a news conference in Austin.
Daniel Perry shot and killed Garrett Foster during a protest in downtown Austin in July 2020. Perry was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison in May 2023, prompting immediate calls for a pardon from conservative figures. Abbott issued the pardon last month and Perry was quickly released from prison.
How are pardons a thing. Seems incredibly ripe for abuse.
But they’re often the only thing available to correct an injustice. Should civil rights pioneers not have been pardoned?
Most people would agree yes, they should be pardoned. I’m not against the idea of pardoning completely, just the idea of it being a single person questionable, since it seems a bit risky.
Someone could have a political opponent killed and then just pardon the assassin.
Doesn’t seem like a sensible thing to have around.
Wait. Thats a good question. Is this possible?
I mean, trump pardoned war criminals. So I do not see why not (IANAL).