Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey Recommends Pardons For 4 People
By Tiffany Williams –
Thursday, Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey recommended Joanne Booth, Murphy Smith, Evan Willey and Kenny Jean for pardons.
Earlier this summer, Healey became the first Massachusetts Governor in more than 30 years to recommend pardons in her first elected year and secured pardons for seven individuals.
“When we recommended our first round of pardons earlier this year, I said that we were doing it because justice can’t wait. This second round reflects our continued commitment to that principle,” said Governor Healey. “These four individuals are deserving of pardons for offenses that they committed a long time ago, and they have since taken productive steps to improve their lives and give back to their communities. Our administration believes that clemency is a powerful tool to ensure that our criminal justice system is just and equitable.”
The Governor of Massachusetts has the power to grant executive clemency for offenses violating state law, including both pardons and commutations, with the advice and consent of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council. A pardon is a forgiveness of the offender’s underlying offense. The Advisory Board of Pardons first reviews all petitions for executive clemency and makes a recommendation to the Governor. The Governor then makes the ultimate determination on whether to proceed and grant the petition for executive clemency with the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council.
Joanne Booth was convicted of Assault and Battery on a Police Officer and Assault and Battery by Means of a Dangerous Weapon in 1979 when she was 18 years old. She was also convicted of Operating to Endanger in 1983. She was sentenced to probation in both cases. While on probation, she volunteered at a nursery school to complete her community service hours and developed a passion for the field. Joanne went on to graduate from community college and started her career in early childhood education. She was mostly recently running the pre-kindergarten program to prepare kids to start kindergarten and served as a mentor to teens who volunteered with the program. However, in 2021, after her longtime employer received a grant that required all employees to undergo a criminal background check, her employer was required to fire her more than 40 years after her offenses. Joanne has been married to her husband since 1985 and they have two kids, including a son who served as a United States Marine and a daughter who recently graduated from college.
Murphy Smith: Murphy was convicted of Assault in December 1988 when he was 24 or 25 years old and sentenced to one year of probation. At the time of his crime, he was in a mental health crisis, experiencing depression and self-harming. He went on to work as a nursing assistance, a Corrections Officer for the State of Maryland and most recently as a Personnel Specialist for the State of Maryland Spring Grove Hospital. Murphy says he has previously been rejected from jobs because of his criminal record, and he is concerned that if he ever lost his job, he would have difficulty getting a new one.
Evan Willey n was convicted of Operation Under the Influence of Liquor in 2009 when he was 18 years old and sentenced to pay a $500 fine. At the time, he had plans to enter the Marine Corps after his high school graduation, but he was rejected due to his arrest. He wrote a letter asking for reconsideration and went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps from 2009 until he was honorably discharged after being wounded in Afghanistan in 2012. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Curry College. He’s been employed by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for almost five years. He’s been married since 2010 and has three young children, coaches his sons’ flag football team and assists with his town’s basketball program.
Kenny Jean: Kenny was convicted of Armed Robbery in 2016 when he was 18 and sentenced to 2-3 years in prison. He says that at the time, he was homeless and in desperate need of money. As a teenager, he worked with a nonprofit called More Than Words, which provides jobs and training to system-involved youth. When he was released from custody, he continued to work with the organization. He earned his certificate of completion from South Coast Education Collaborative, completed the New England Culinary Arts Training Program and joined a church.
