Governor Brown Commutes Convicted Murderer's Sentence After Disputed Plea Deal
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has commuted the sentence of a 57-year-old woman who's serving life in prison without parole despite a bungled plea deal that could have freed her decades ago.
Brown announced Saturday that he's giving Candace Lee Fox a chance at parole.
Fox spent 33 years behind bars for a 1984 killing despite a disputed plea agreement that called for her release after 7 ½ years.
A federal appeals panel upheld her murder sentence last year but two of the judges said the state should consider clemency.
Fox was among 132 pardons and 19 commutations announced.
Others include two Cambodian refugees who faced deportation because of criminal convictions and a woman labeled a hero by CNN for her work with the homeless.
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