Pardoned and Convicted II
In a previous post, I commented on an item appearing in the The Hill, by Patrick Fitzgerald and Ilan Wurman, which discussed three individuals pardoned by Bill Clinton who, afterward, found themselves in "further trouble with the government" (Rodger Clinton, Marc Rich and Glenn Braswell). I then noted some other prominent examples of persons who were pardoned and convicted (here) and referred to some empirical studies that have been done on pardons and recidivism (here). I found it interesting that anyone would be taking an interest in this aspect of the Clinton pardons at this point in time, but I really missed a golden opportunity to be more colorful.
You ever hear of Robert Wendell Walker, Jr.?
In 1977, Oregon Governor Bob Straub pardoned Walker for two shoplifting convictions. In 1981, Ronald Reagan granted him another pardon for an attempted bank robbery. As a 21-year old, Walker tried robbing the First National Bank of Oregon in downtown Portland. He passed a note to a teller, but had no gun and walked away from the scene without any money! Nonetheless, Walker surrendered himself to the FBI in 1970, and was sentenced to five years of probation. He was evidently quite proud of the fact that he had applied for the presidential pardon without the help of a lawyer or anyone with political "connections." The Chicago Sun-Times would later say that it was "unknown" why Reagan granted the pardon. CNN called the decision "puzzling."
Then, just about the time "investigating" Clinton pardons became all the rage, Walker reappeared in the pages of the nation's newspapers. The 53-year old, who had already been arrested for DUI, was charged with shooting his wife three times, storing her body in a freezer (purchased specifically for the task), dismembering her body and attempting to burn it away in an incinerator. Walker told investigators that he used the .357 in self-defense, when his wife came at him with a steak knife. He also said that it occurred to him to call 9-1-1 after the shooting, but he forgot everything that happened for the next two weeks.
After a three-week trial, a judge arrived at a somewhat contrasting conclusion. Walker was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
You ever hear of Robert Wendell Walker, Jr.?
In 1977, Oregon Governor Bob Straub pardoned Walker for two shoplifting convictions. In 1981, Ronald Reagan granted him another pardon for an attempted bank robbery. As a 21-year old, Walker tried robbing the First National Bank of Oregon in downtown Portland. He passed a note to a teller, but had no gun and walked away from the scene without any money! Nonetheless, Walker surrendered himself to the FBI in 1970, and was sentenced to five years of probation. He was evidently quite proud of the fact that he had applied for the presidential pardon without the help of a lawyer or anyone with political "connections." The Chicago Sun-Times would later say that it was "unknown" why Reagan granted the pardon. CNN called the decision "puzzling."
Then, just about the time "investigating" Clinton pardons became all the rage, Walker reappeared in the pages of the nation's newspapers. The 53-year old, who had already been arrested for DUI, was charged with shooting his wife three times, storing her body in a freezer (purchased specifically for the task), dismembering her body and attempting to burn it away in an incinerator. Walker told investigators that he used the .357 in self-defense, when his wife came at him with a steak knife. He also said that it occurred to him to call 9-1-1 after the shooting, but he forgot everything that happened for the next two weeks.
After a three-week trial, a judge arrived at a somewhat contrasting conclusion. Walker was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
posted by P.S. Ruckman, Jr. | 7:46 PM
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