LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin issued a slew of pardons on his way out of office.
Bevin has granted relief to a convicted killer whose brother raised money for him and another man who was convicted of a grisly murder in eastern Kentucky.
Bevin issued more than 400 pardons since election day. Among them was Delmar Partin, who was convicted of murdering his former lover at a chemical plant in Barbourville in 1993.
Partin was serving a life sentence in prison, but defense attorneys argued at his trial that there was no physical evidence linking him to the death.
Speaker of the House David Osborne issued the following statement regarding continuing news of former Governor Matt Bevin’s use of the gubernatorial pardon:
“As we learn more about how the former Governor chose to use his authority to issue pardons, we are reminded that with the power to pardon must come the judgment and discretion to use that power judiciously. Like all authority associated with elected office, it must be free from political and personal interest and balanced with the impact it has on the victims and our communities and justice system.”