Earlier this month, Governor Haley Barbour suspended the sentence of an inmate for the first time during his tenure as governor. His decision to release convicted murderer David Michael Graham sent shock waves across the state. But what the Governor did has been a common practice for many years in Mississippi.
For killing his ex-wife Adrienne Klasky 19 years ago, many believed Graham would never walk free again. Graham was sentenced to life in prison. But for the last four years, he’s lived and worked at the Governor’s Mansion. Now Graham is out on what amounts to early parole.
“It’s long, long been the custom and tradition in the state of Mississippi for governors to either commute, or suspend, or in some cases even pardon those who had served as a trusty in the Governor’s Mansion,” said attorney Andy Taggart.
