California Court Blocks Pardon for Refugee Who Killed at 14

California Court Blocks Pardon for Refugee Who Killed at 14

December 15, 2018, 5:40 AM

California Court Blocks Pardon for Refugee Who Killed at 14

FILE - Borey Ai served 19 years in prison before parole officials decided he'd turned his life around and he walked out of San Quentin. The California Supreme Court has blocked Gov. Jerry Brown's pardon of the 37-year-old Cambodian refugee.
FILE – Borey Ai served 19 years in prison before parole officials decided he'd turned his life around and he walked out of San Quentin. The California Supreme Court has blocked Gov. Jerry Brown's pardon of the 37-year-old Cambodian refugee.

SAN FRANCISCO —

In a rare step, the California Supreme Court has blocked Gov. Jerry Brown’s attempt to issue a pardon to a 37-year-old Cambodian refugee who killed a woman when he was 14 years old.

The court gave no reason for the rejection, but earlier noted it only had the authority to do so in the case of an “abuse of power.” Brown’s pardon would have effectively stopped Borey Ai’s deportation to Cambodia, a nation where his mother was born but he has never seen.

Pardons, threat of deportation

The governor in the last 10 months has pardoned seven ex-convicts who otherwise faced the threat of deportation to Cambodia, drawing the ire of President Donald Trump, whose administration has stepped up efforts to deport immigrants with criminal convictions.

It takes at least four votes of the seven justices to block pardons. The unsigned ruling Wednesday didn’t say how many justices voted to block the pardon. The governor is required to obtain the court’s approval for pardons and sentence commutations for twice-convicted felons.

Appellate lawyer David Ettinger said it appears the last time the court rejected a governor’s pardon was in 1930.

A spokesman for the governor, Brian Ferguson, declined comment.

19 years served

Ai was charged as an adult and convicted in Santa Clara County 1997 of second-degree murder and also of a separate robbery. He was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison.

FILE - Andrew Medina, left, holds a sign during a rally backing a pardon for Borey Ai, Oct. 24, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif.
FILE – Andrew Medina, left, holds a sign during a rally backing a pardon for Borey Ai, Oct. 24, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif.

He spent 19 years in prison before parole officials decided he had turned his life around. He walked out of San Quentin prison in November 2016 and into the custody of waiting federal immigration agents who are trying to deport him to Cambodia. After prison, he spent 18 months in federal detention but was freed in May after Cambodia refused to accept him — for now.

Ai was represented by lawyers at the nonprofit legal aid organization Asian Law Caucus.

“It is definitely a disappointment and definitely a surprise,” said Anoop Prasad, one of Ai’s lawyers.

Prasad said the court didn’t provide an explanation to Ai or his legal team. Prasad said lawyers are “considering other legal avenues” to reverse the state Supreme Court’s decision. Prasad also said Ai is fighting his deportation in a federal appeals court.

Parole officials recommended a pardon for Ai in October and dozens of advocates turned in more than 36,000 signatures asking Brown to pardon Ai. Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Aaron West objected to the pardon, arguing that Ai has been free for only months and has no track record of being a benefit to the community.

Original Article

"DADDY TRUMP" BY THE TRUTH BOMBERS JUST DROPPED ON ITUNES! HELP IT CLIMB INTO THE TOP 10 BY DOWNLOADING NOW!

THE DAWN OF LIBERTY - INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

AMERICA 250 - A NEW ERA OF AMERICAN GREATNESS

Join us for this special presentation by America 250 "A New Era Of American Greatness", Thursday at 3PM ET.

WATCH BRICS 2025: THE RIO RESET

CATCH THE LATEST STEVE GRUBER SHOW

WATCH THE AMERICAN SUNRISE SHOW M-F AT 7AM ET.

WATCH THE LATEST EDITION OF WAR ROOM WITH STEVE BANNON

CATCH THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW M-F AT 12NOON ET.

HUMAN EVENTS DAILYWITH JACK POSOBIEC

CATCH THE LATEST AMERICA'S VOICE LIVE SHOW

JOIN THE ERIC BOLLING SHOW M-F AT 4PM ET.

THE GRANT STINCHFIELD TONIGHT SHOW M-F AT 7PM ET.

LIVE FROM STUDIO 6B M-F AT 8PM ET.

TURNING POINT TONIGHT SHOW M-TH AT 10PM ET.

WATCH THIS WEEK'S BREAKING POINT WITH DAVID ZERE

CATCH THE ROYCE WHITE SHOW EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT 9AM ET.

WATCH AMERICA SHINES WITH AUBREY SHINES SATURDAYS AT 2PM ET.

LAST CALL WITH MIKE CRISPI - SATURDAYS AT 8PM ET.

WATCH THE LATEST LAW & BORDER WITH BEN BERGQUAM

WATCH THE LATEST COWBOY LOGIC BARN PARTY

WATCH THE SHEMANE NUGENT FAITH & FREEDOM SHOW SUNDAYS AT 10AM ET.

MEDIA EXPOSED WITH ADAM WEISS SUNDAYS AT 6PM ET.

SUNDAY IN AMERICA WITH BRIAN GLENN AT 7PM ET.

JOIN US ON GETTR!

CHECK OUT THE LATEST TED NUGENT SPIRIT CAMPFIRE SHOW

JOIN US IN LIVE CHAT 24/7 ON RUMBLE

JOIN US ON OUR 24/7 LIVE RUMBLE STREAM