Texas Gov fulfils pledge to pardon man convicted of murdering BLM marcher and sentenced to 25 years
The Govenor of Texas issued a notable (and previously promised) clemency, as detailed in this local article. Here are excerpts:
Daniel Perry, a former Army sergeant convicted of killing a Black Lives Matter protester in downtown Austin in 2020, was freed from prison Thursday within an hour of Gov. Greg Abbott signing a pardon proclamation in a case that triggered a political and legal firestorm.
In a series of rapid-fire developments in a less than two-hour span, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended that Perry be pardoned on the murder conviction. Abbott then granted the full pardon to Perry, leading to his release from the Mac Stringfellow Unit in Rosharon, about 20 miles south of downtown Houston. Perry, 36 at the time of his April 2023 conviction, may also be able to apply to have his record expunged, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The board announced its recommendation to pardon Perry and restore his firearm rights in a statement posted on its website Thursday. Its decision came after a “meticulous review of pertinent documents, from police reports to court records, witness statements, and interviews with individuals linked to the case,” the statement said.
In July 2020, Perry shot and killed Garrett Foster after Perry drove into a racial justice protest on Congress Avenue. Perry claimed that he shot Foster, who was carrying an AK-47 rifle, in self-defense. During Perry’s trial last year, prosecutors argued that Perry had sought out confrontation.
“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney,” Abbott said in a statement Thursday. “I thank the Board for its thorough investigation, and I approve their pardon recommendation.” In a proclamation Thursday, Abbott took aim at Travis County District Attorney José Garza, writing that Garza “demonstrated unethical and biased misuse of his office in prosecuting Daniel Scott Perry.”
Less than 24 hours after a jury in April 2023 found Perry guilty of murder, Abbott said on social media that he would approve a pardon if one were recommended by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. The announcement came after prominent conservative figures called on him to undo Perry’s conviction. Shortly after Abbott’s announcement, a state district judge unsealed court records that contained Perry’s previously unreleased messages and social media posts, which contained racist rhetoric.
“Daniel Perry was imprisoned for 372 days and lost the military career that he loved,” Doug O’Connell, an attorney who represents Perry, said in a statement. “The action by Governor Abbott and the Pardon Board corrects the courtroom travesty which occurred over a year ago and represents justice in this case. “I spoke to Daniel Perry this afternoon. He is thrilled and elated to be free. Daniel is also optimistic for his future.”
Garza condemned the actions of the parole board and Abbott, writing in a statement that they have “put their politics over justice and made a mockery of our legal system.”
Gov Abbott’s proclamation is available at this link and his statement is at this linkavailable at this link.
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