A California woman, sentenced as a teenager to life in prison without the possibility of parole for fatally shooting a man who sexually abused and trafficked her, received clemency on Friday from Governor Gavin Newsom.
Sara Kruzan was 16 at the time of the crime, according to the pardon. In 1995, Kruzan was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, and a further four years was added to the sentence for the aggravating charge of firearm use, according to a copy of the pardon obtained by the CNN .
In 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger commuted the sentence from life to 25 years, according to the pardon.
In 2013, Kruzan was sentenced to 15 years for second-degree murder, and a further four years were added for the grievance of firearm use. The total sentence would be 19 years, according to the pardon. Kruzan was released after serving 18 years in prison.
“Mrs. Kruzan committed a crime that took the victim’s life. Since then, Ms. Kruzan transformed his own life and dedicated himself to community service”, according to the pardon. “This act of mercy for Ms. Kruzan does not downplay or condone her conduct or the harm she caused. But it recognizes the work she has done since then to transform herself.”
According to a press release from Newsom’s office, the governor granted 17 pardons, 15 commutations and a medical pardon on July 1.
Since taking office in January 2019, Newsom has granted a total of 129 pardons, 123 commutations and 35 pardons, according to the statement.
Source: CNN Brasil
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