A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
Barry Beach is a mostly free man today after spending three decades prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit, and for which the principal evidence was a confession that may have been coerced. Yesterday, Gov. Steve Bullock granted Beach clemency, commuting his 100-year sentence to time served plus 10 years suspended.
Bullock rightly granted clemency, but he’s not receiving universal approval for his decision. See Don Pogreba’s commentary at Intelligent Discontent. Politically, freeing Beach will be a wash or slight negative. But it was the right thing to do. Bullock deserves plenty of credit for doing it, and for doing it now. He could have waited until after next year’s election.