A prosecutor says he is asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse the governor’s pardon of a former Army sergeant who was convicted of fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter demonstrator.

The Texas governor’s pardon of a former Army sergeant who fatally shot a Black Lives Matter demonstrator undermines the state’s legal system and constitution and should be reversed, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Travis County District Attorney José Garza said he is filing request with the Court of Criminal Appeals — the state’s highest criminal court — to review the pardon issued by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, which he said made a mockery of the legal system and put politics ahead of justice.

“We will continue to use the legal process to seek justice,” Garza said during a news conference in Austin.

Daniel Perry shot and killed Garrett Foster during a protest in downtown Austin in July 2020. Perry was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison in May 2023, prompting immediate calls for a pardon from conservative figures. Abbott issued the pardon last month and Perry was quickly released from prison.

  • wolfpack86@lemmy.world
    91·
    27 days ago

    But they’re often the only thing available to correct an injustice. Should civil rights pioneers not have been pardoned?

    • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
      13·
      27 days ago

      Most people would agree yes, they should be pardoned. I’m not against the idea of pardoning completely, just the idea of it being a single person questionable, since it seems a bit risky.

      Someone could have a political opponent killed and then just pardon the assassin.

      Doesn’t seem like a sensible thing to have around.