Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on Thursday that he granted executive clemency for 16 individuals and expedited parole eligibility for 30 individuals.
Lee’s announcement marks his second round of clemency actions since taking office in 2019.
The Tennessee Board of Parole issues non-binding recommendations to the governor’s office for each case before executive clemency is granted. Those who applied for clemency but were not included in today’s release remain eligible for clemency, according to Lee’s office.
Lee pardoned 13 individuals, granted the end of parole to one individual who has been out of prison for many years, and expedited parole eligibility for two individuals. Fourteen of the 16 individuals granted executive clemency are no longer in prison, as noted by The Associated Press.
The individual who was granted the end of his parole was 78-year-old William Mee, convicted of first-degree murder in 1981 in Meigs County. The two individuals who were granted expedited parole eligibility were Tabatha White and Alicia Williams – who are both currently incarcerated on murder charges – from Davidson County.
“After thoroughly reviewing the merits of each case, I have decided to grant 16 individuals executive clemency,” said Lee. “Each individual case is unique and warranted consideration, and I thank the Board of Parole members for their thoughtful recommendations throughout this process.”
In addition, Lee announced that he granted expedited parole eligibility to 30 individuals. Lee’s decision to grant this round of expedited parole eligibility follows the Tennessee General Assembly’s recent action to amend the state law about drug-free school zone (DFSZ) offenses.
“In light of recent updates to Tennessee state law, I have made the decision to grant parole eligibility to certain low-level drug offenders who merit consideration for an expedited review of their sentence,” Lee further stated. “Each parole hearing will be considered individually, and the Board of Parole will determine the appropriate outcome.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Bill Lee” by Gov. Bill Lee.
