Capital Punishment Clemency Petitions
An artificial collection of over 150 clemency petitions filed by inmates from across the United States for the lessening of their death sentence.
History of Capital Punishment Clemency Petitions
The clemency process varies from state to state and typically involves the governor, a board of advisors, or both. Clemency refers to the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime itself. The act of clemency is a reprieve. Unlike judicial proceedings, claims raised in clemency petitions are free of procedural defaults that can mask error, unfairness, or irrationality in a given death sentence. Petitions thus can reveal what the sentencing authority may not have known because of attorney error, prosecutorial misconduct, newly discovered evidence, or other reasons.
Scope and Contents
The Clemency Petitions Collection includes approximately 150 clemency petitions filed by inmates from across the United States. William J. Bowers originally established this collection as part of his work with The Constitution Project. Later additions were made by the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives. The petition for Joseph Spaziano is from the papers of Michael A. Mello.
The collection was reformatted to PDF files in April-June 2006 and first made availible online. The petition for Joseph Spaziano was reformatted in September 2006 and the petition for Mitchell Terry Mincey was reformatted in 2012.
Online Content
This lists only items that are available online. To see all materials, visit Capital Punishment Clemency Petitions Collection Page.
1981-1991
1984
Adams, James, FL,
1984
Tafero, Jesse Joseph, FL Not a petition,
1984
Moore, William Neal, GA Clemency granted,
1984
1985
1987
1990
1991
1992,
1993
Poyner, Syvasky L, VA,
1993
Bolder, Martsay, MO,
1993
Washington, Earl, Jr, VA Clemency granted,
1993
Mathenia, Chuck, MO Execution has been stayed,
1993
1994
1995
Edmonds, Dana Ray, VA,
1995
Mann, Fletcher Thomas, TX,
1995
Stockton, Dennis W, VA,
1995
Davies, Girvies, IL,
1995
1996
Bennett, Ronald B, VA,
1996
Paradis, Donald M, ID Clemency granted,
1996
Correll, Walter M, Jr, VA,
1996
Payne, Joseph P, Sr, VA Clemency granted,
1996
Hoke, Ronald Lee, Sr, VA,
1996
1997
Pope, Carlton Jerome, VA,
1997
Satcher, Michael C, VA,
1997
Murphy, Mario Benjamin, VA,
1997
West, Robert Wallace, TX,
1997
Beavers, Thomas H, Jr, VA, Not a Clemency petition,
1997
Stoker, David Wayne, TX,
1997
Saunders, William, VA Clemency granted,
1997
Thompson, Thomas M, CA,
1997
1998
Dubois, Johnile L, VA,
1998
Wright, Dwayne Allen, VA,
1998
Wilson, Kenneth, VA,
1998
Watkins, Ronald L, VA,
1998
King, Danny Lee, VA,
1998
Breard, Angel Francisco, VA,
1998
Strickler, Tommy David, VA,
1998
1999
Quesinberry, George A, Jr, VA,
1999
Yeatts, Ronald Dale, VA,
1999
Graham, Andre, L, VA,
1999
Ramdass, Bobby Lee, VA,
1999
Baldwin, Brian Keith, AL,
1999
Coleman, Clydell, TX,
1999
Ramsey, Roy, Jr, MO,
1999
Roach, Steve Edward, VA,
1999
Chichester, Carl H, VA,
1999
Rector, Charles H, TX,
1999
Fisher, David L, VA,
1999
Williams, Marlon D, VA,
1999
Joseph,Jason Matthew, VA,
1999
Swann, Calvin Eugene, VA Clemency granted,
1999
2000
Burket, Russel William, VA,
2000
Young, Mose, Jr, MO,
2000
McGinnis, Glen Charles, TX,
2000
Kruetzer, Paul, MO,
2000
Weeks, Lonnie, Jr, VA,
2000
Barnabei, Derek Rocco, VA,
2000
Harris, George B, MO,
2000
Workman, Philip, TN,
2000
2001
2002
2006
Undated
Giarratano, Joseph M, VA Clemency granted,
Undated
Harris, Bobby Lee, NC Death sentence vacated,
Undated
Mueller, Everett Lee, VA,
Undated
Stewart, Kenneth M, Jr, VA,
Undated
Faulder, Joseph S, TX,
Undated
Mallett, Jerome, MO,
Undated
Flowers, Wendell, NC Clemency granted,
Undated
Roberts, Roy Michael, MO,
Undated
Roberts, Michael Shane, MO,
Undated
Chambers, James W, MO,
Undated
Zeitvogel, Richard S, MO,
Undated
Eaton, Dennis Wayne, VA,
Undated
Mincey, Mitchell Terry, GA,
Undated
Marquez, Mario S, TX,
Undated
Gray, Coleman Wayne, VA,
Undated
Sheppard, Mark A, VA,
Undated
Fitzgerald, Edward B, VA,
Undated
Griffin, Larry, MO,
Undated
Chandler, Lance A, Jr, VA,
Undated
Boliek, William T, MO, Execution has been stayed,
Undated
Shaw, Bobby Lewis, MO Granted clemency,
Undated
Malone, Kevin, MO,
Undated
Blackmon, Ricky Don, TX,
Undated
Pollard, Roosevelt, Jr, MO Execution has been stayed,
Undated
Grubbs, Ricky Lee, MO,
Undated
Graham, Gary, TX,
Undated
Savino, Joseph John, VA,
Undated
Green, Harvey Lee, Jr, NC,
Undated
Bunch, Timothy Dale, VA,
Undated
Owsley, Michael, MO,
Undated
Powell, Reginald, MO,
Undated
Atkins, Joseph Ernest, SC,
Undated
Tokar, Jeffrey, MO,
Undated
Rodden, James E, MO,
Undated
Farriss, Troy Dale, TX,
Undated
Richardson, Antonio, MO Death sentence overturned,
Undated
Watkins, Johnny, Jr, VA,
Undated
White, Billy Dwayne, TX,
Undated
Wise, Joe Louis, Sr, VA,
Undated
Simmons, Christopher Lee, MO Resentenced to life in prison,
Undated
Gosch, Lesley Lee, TX,
Undated
Preston, Elroy, MO Execution has been stayed,
Undated
George, Michael Carl, VA,
Undated
Murray, Robert Anthony, MO,
Undated
Beets, Betty Lou, TX,
Undated
Jones, Richard Wayne, TX,
Undated
Bannister, Alan Jeffrey, MO,
Undated
Bacon, Robert, Jr, NC, Clemency granted,
Undated
Green, Ricky Lee, TX,
Undated
Hunter, Bert Leroy, MO,
Undated
Mitchell, Gerald Lee, TX,
Undated
Bassette, Herbert R, VA, Clemency granted,
Undated
Amrine, Joseph, MO, Death sentence overturned, released from prison,
Undated
LaRette, Anthony J, Jr, MO,
Undated
Justus, Buddy Earl, VA,
Undated
Basile, Daniel, MO,
Undated
Johns, Stephen, MO,
Undated
Kilgore, Bruce, MO,
Undated
Elliott, Larry Bill, VA,
Undated
Davis, Ralph E, MO,
Undated
Schlup, Lloyd E, Jr, MO New trial no death sentence,
Undated
Peterson, Derick Lynn, VA,
Undated
Wright, Freddie Lee, AL,
Undated
Chandler, David R Granted clemency,
Undated
Carter, Marcus, NC Clemency granted,
Undated
Lingar, Stanley, MO,
Undated
Miller-El, Thomas Joe, TX Death sentence overturned sentenced to life in prison,
Undated
Westley, Anthony Ray, TX,
Undated
Trevino, Joe Mario, TX,
Undated
Johnson, Richard Charles, SC,
Undated
Roll, Gary Lee, MO,
Undated
Black, Robert V, Jr, TX,
Undated
Lackey, Clarence Allen, TX,
Undated
Pyles, Johnny Dean, TX,
Undated
Parkus, Steven Wesley, MO Sentence commuted to life in prison,
Undated