You'd Think There Was A Shortage Of People Who Actually Deserve Pardons

Earlier this month, everyone was no doubt relieved to hear that Jim Morrison got his pardon:

Florida's Clemency Board has posthumously pardoned singer Jim Morrison of The Doors for his 40-year-old conviction on indecent exposure and profanity charges.

Outgoing Gov. Charlie Crist requested the pardon Thursday. The Clemency Board unanimously granted it.


Crist expressed doubts that Morrison actually exposed himself during a rowdy March 1, 1969, concert in Miami's Dinner Key Auditorium.

Morrison was appealing the conviction when he was found dead in a Paris bathtub in 1971.

Apparently a woman who claims to have been married to Morrison called the pardon a cheap political ploy.

Do tell.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has come up with a pardon of his own--he wants to grant a pardon to Billy The Kid:

Billy the Kid might not be an outlaw anymore.

The iconic Wild West gunman could receive a pardon from New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson before the new year, Reuters reported.

"As someone who is fascinated with New Mexico's rich history, I've always been intrigued by the story of Billy the Kid and, in particular, the alleged promise of a pardon he was given," Richardson said in a statement.

True enough, Billy The Kid was promised a pardon--but there is more to it than that:

According to the legend of Billy the Kid, the outlaw killed 21 men in the 1870s and early 1880s but had been promised a pardon by a territorial governor, Lew Wallace, in exchange for his testimony at another trial, ABC reported. Billy, however, skipped out of jail instead and was supposedly shot dead days later.

"I will diligently review this new petition and all the facts available regarding an agreement between Billy the Kid and Governor Wallace before rendering any decision," the governor said.

I don't suppose the fact that Billy The Kid broke his promise would carry any weight...

Speaking of pardons and promises, a more serious matter--that of Jonathan Pollard--remains up in the air

Technorati Tag: Jim Morrison and Billy The Kid.