CONTROVERSIAL

MS Court Upholds Barbour Pardons

More than 200 granted on his way out of office.

The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld more than 200 controversial pardons granted by former governor Haley Barbour on his way out of office in January, stopping a bid by the state attorney general’s office to have them overturned. The 6–3 ruling came on Thursday afternoon when the court ruled that Barbour’s moves “may not be set aside or voided by the judicial branch.” Dissenting Justice Michael Randolph wrote that the decision was “a stunning victory for some lawless convicted felons, and an immeasurable loss for ... our state.” Of the 214 felons, four were convicted murderers who had worked as “trusties” in the governor’s mansion. The attorney general argued that Barbour had failed to think of the families of the victims prior to his pardons.