Jeff Gamso alerted us to Richard Nields being granted clemency, when he commented to the Execution List for the remainder of 2010:  Nields’ name needs to be removed.  Wow.  Great news, right?

Instead of being killed by the State of Ohio on Thursday, June 10, 2010, Richard Nields will remain alive to serve a life sentence without parole. 

The Controversy

There’s no controversy that Richard Nields killed his girlfriend.  Nields has admitted to doing this. The controversy surrounds a prosecutorial expert with questionable credentials who provided testimony that was refuted — and established an argument that Nields’ case was never one intended to be subject to possible capital punishment. 

The Legal Arguments

For all the details on the legal arguments surrounding Richard Nields’ case, check out the great posts over at Gamso for the Defense.  (More than one post, you can’t get better than Gamso.)

The Governor’s Statement and the Prosecutor’s Reaction

To read Ohio Governor Ted Strickland’s Statement on Parole Board Recommendation Regarding Richard Nields, check out the Governor’s web site. (No real details, just a summary of everything that was reviewed – U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, etc.)

Learn the reaction of the prosecutor in the case by reading his comments to the news media.  (He’s not pleased.)

Media Reaction

Digest the reaction of the main stream media to the Clemency decision (first by the parole board, then by the governor):

Guess they’re not seeing mercy all that often these days.  Right? 

Mercy By Any Motivation Still Means a Life is Spared

Perhaps we should all think about that — and maybe governors with budgets filled with red ink will be more inclined to follow the merciful example set by Governor Strickland this week.  Mercy motivated by money still saves a life. 

Hint, hint.

Thanks to Gamso.