The day before Thanksgiving, Gov. Gavin Newsom granted clemency to 19 people, including award-winning San Quentin podcaster Aaron Woods.
The acclaimed podcast “Ear Hustle,” which Woods co-founded inside San Quentin State Prison in 2017, was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize. Its title is taken from prison slang for eavesdropping.
The governor’s office said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that the grant recipients “have turned their lives around since their convictions and demonstrated a commitment to service to their families and communities.”
When reviewing clemency applications, Newsom will examine the applicant’s personal development and conduct since the crime, whether the grant is in the interest of justice, and the impact of the grant on the community, including crime victims and survivors. We will take into account many factors such as.” ”, the agency announced.
“I got a call from Governor Newsom today,” Woods said in an Instagram video Wednesday afternoon, detailing how the governor broke the news to him and thanking him for his work. did. “So your son is forgiven!”
Mr. Woods had two convictions as a teenager and was sentenced to 31 years in prison under the state’s “three strikes” law for a 1997 armed robbery.
The podcaster’s sentence was commuted by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018, making Woods eligible for parole. After his release, Woods interviewed Brown on a podcast at the Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento.
After his release from prison, Woods, who was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, was hired by Public Radio Exchange as a full-time producer and co-host of “Ear Hustle.” He also earned his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed a vocational trade program while incarcerated, according to his “Ear Hustle” biography.
Newsom previously announced he would file a pardon request for Woods in March. State law does not allow the governor to directly pardon or commute the sentence of someone convicted of multiple felonies without going through a multi-step process that includes approval by the state Supreme Court. It has been applied.
The other 18 grant recipients include Sonoma County restaurateur Damian Clopton, who expressed deep gratitude to Newsom for signing the pardon.
“I’ve already turned my life around, and this is a recognition of that,” said Clopton, who was jailed on charges of possessing a controlled substance for sale and transporting a controlled substance for sale. He was released in 2010.
The small business owner said, “There are many federal programs that are unavailable or ineligible for people with criminal convictions, so a pardon would have an immediate impact on their lives.” Ta. …It’s still a scarlet letter.”
Times staff writers Taryn Luna and Hannah Wiley contributed to this report.
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