Gov. Maura Healey is recommending seven people be pardoned, including a Boston firefighter convicted over drugs more than 30 years ago and a retiree whose 1966 conviction of arson is preventing him from working as a nurse.
All seven received unanimous recommendations for pardons from the state's Parole Board. It's the earliest a Massachusetts governor has recommended pardons in over 30 years, according to Healey's administration, and the most first-year pardons from a governor in over 40 years.
"Justice delayed can be justice denied," Healey said at a State House news conference, adding that her administration's approach to justice is one that is "timely, fair, equitable and compassionate."
Healey also said that her administration is working to revise Massachusetts' policy on clemency, including by working with advocates in the justice system — "Young people change and grow," the governor noted.
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She introduced Boston firefighter Glendon King, one of the seven people up for pardons. A military veteran, he's responded to the State House as a first responder many times, and is now "very, very happy" to have his 1992 conviction for drug possession, a mistake he regrets, expunged from his record.
"For a man who's got a good head on his shoulders, to be labeled as a convicted felon for years, it's not a good thing," King said, noting that he also wanted to be able to exercise his Second Amendment right again.
Terrence Williams, a Boston Water and Sewer Commission employee for 33 years, has been denied jobs working for private security six times because he was convicted in 1984, when he was 15, for assault and battery on a person who didn't press charges and remains friends with Williams.
"Never give up, 'cause there's somebody out there who's going to hear your story … They're going to give you the opportunity to keep pushing," he said.
The pardon recommendations must be approved by the Governor's Council. Her office also shared endorsements from local advocates, including the head of the ACLU of Massachusetts and former New England Patriot Devin McCourty.
During her campaign for governor, Healey promised to pardon those who had been convicted of simple marijuana possession if elected.
The full list of people recommended for pardons, as shared by the governor's office, is here:
Edem Amet: In 1995, at the age of 20, Amet was convicted of three counts of Distribution of a Class B Controlled Substance and three counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance in a School Zone in Hampden Superior Court. He was sentenced to one day in the House of Correction for the drug-distribution convictions and two years in the House of Correction on the School Zone violations. He’s held steady employment over the years and most recently started his own real estate investment firm despite battling prostate cancer. Amet is an immigrant who came to the United States as a young child, but his drug convictions have hindered his ability to become a permanent resident. Amet was unanimously recommended for executive clemency by the Parole Board.
Xavier Delvalle: In 2006, at the age of 19, Delvalle was convicted of Breaking and Entering at Night with Intent to Commit a Felony, Possession of Burglarious Tools, and two counts of Larceny in 2006 in Waltham District Court and sentenced to probation. He now lives with his wife and two children in Fort Worth, Texas, obtained his GED, and is employed by American Airlines as a ramp fleet clerk. Over the years, he has given back to his community by volunteering at the Pine Street Inn, participating in a toy drive, and contributing to the Old Charlestown Schoolgirls Association to help the organization award six scholarships to college students. He wants to join the military and pursue a career as an aviation mechanic but is unable to fulfill this dream because of his past convictions. He was also previously denied from a job as a Corrections Officer in Boston due to his record. Delvalle was unanimously recommended for executive clemency by the Parole Board.
Glendon King: In 1992, at the age of 30, King was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class B Controlled Substance and Possession of Class D substance in Boston Municipal Court. He is now married with six children, ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He graduated from Boston Latin Academy in 1980 and attended the University of Pittsburgh on a partial athletic scholarship. He then served in the United States Army and Army National Guard, and received an Honorable Discharge in 2001, after attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. Mr. King later joined the Boston Fire Department in 1999, where he has worked for more than 20 years. He is approaching retirement and plans to move to Florida and to work part-time as a security guard after he moves. King was unanimously recommended for executive clemency by the Parole Board.
John Latter: In 1966, at the age of 19, Latter was convicted of arson in Middlesex Superior Court. He drove tractors for several years and then obtained his GED in 1985. After an injury at work, he attended Assabet Valley Vocational School in 1998 and became a Licensed Practical Nurse for 22 years in Massachusetts. He worked in several positions, including a post at Milford Meadows and Northborough Senior Center, and he also volunteered at Berkshire Rehab and Skilled Nursing Center. He retired in 2018, more than 50 years after his conviction, and relocated to Florida with his wife, where he attempted to obtain a nursing license to work and volunteer but was denied because of his record. He has been sober since 1992 and has three children, fourteen grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Latter was unanimously recommended for executive clemency by the Parole Board.
Deborah Pickard: Pickard was convicted of several crimes while she was in her 20s between 1982-1987, including Assault and Battery upon a Police Officer, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Malicious Destruction of Property over $100, Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol, and a Compulsory Insurance Violation, Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Class B and Class D Substances, Drinking Alcohol in Public, and Possession of a Class D Substance. She had grown up in a violent household where she witnessed and was the victim of physical abuse. She suffered from substance use disorder from an early age and turned to substances to cope with mental health challenges, including suicide ideation. She has been sober since 2001, received a master’s degree in social work and works as a licensed clinical social worker, specializing in substance use and trauma treatment. She lives with her family in North Carolina. Pickard was unanimously recommended for conditional executive clemency by the Advisory Board of Pardons.
Gerald Waloewandja: In 2003, at the age of 18, Waloewandja was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Controlled Substance, to wit, Heroin, in 2003 in Lawrence District Court. This is his only criminal offense and was committed at a time when he was suffering from substance use disorder. He is now married with two children and lives in Maine, works and volunteers in the community, and is an active member of his church. He was unanimously recommended for executive clemency by the Parole Board.
Terrance Williams: In 1984, at the age of 15, Williams was found delinquent of Assault and Battery by Means of a Dangerous Weapon in Brighton Juvenile Court and sentenced to probation and community service. The victim did not press charges and remains friends with Williams to this day. Williams has been employed at the Boston Water and Sewer Commission for approximately 33 years, and currently holds the position of Operations Manager. He also works part-time at the Suffolk County Sherriff's Department as a Civil Processor, a position he has held for approximately 15 years. Williams started an organization, the “Mighty Mission,” that takes local kids on trips outside of the city to play in basketball tournaments. Throughout his life, he has dreamed of being a police officer, but his delinquency finding has prevented him for doing so. He has also been denied six different times from a job at a private security company. Williams was unanimously recommended for executive clemency by the Parole Board and also has strong support from Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.
