May 2, 2008
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San Diego woman hoping for pardon after 32 years on the run
Susan LeFevre is married and has raised three children.
“She escaped from a Detroit prison 32 years ago. She was in prison for drug-trafficking charges. She was recently arrested and now faces the remaining 9 year sentence that she avoided by escaping 32 years ago.
There are those that think the governor should pardon her because she has obviously been reformed and lived a productive life. She would face at least 5 1/2 years of her remaining sentence.” Here is the link: Link
Do you think the governor should pardon Susan because she has gone on to live a productive life?
Comments (118)
yeah kind of..i’m not sure
I want to say Yes and No to this one. My hardass side want to say she needs to finish her time, but the other side of me wants to let it go. Wow…I honestly don’t know.
And WB Dan. It’s about time!
oooh. tough one. technically, she is still guilty of the charges that landed her a jail sentence to start with. and by giving her pardon it could be sending the wrong message to criminals to make them think it’s ok to evade paying for their crimes by running away.
on the other side of the coin, she has reformed her life and it sounds like she truly is a better person. i would consider her past a lesson learned and maybe just charge her a fine or consign her to so many hours of community service for running away which in itself is a crime. i think jail is rather unneccesary at this point.
She broke the law by running; she shouldn’t get off completely free. But since she has proven to be a productive member of society, I’d give her a week in jail, two years of community service and five years of probation.
in theory, the idea behind prison is reform (this is sort of a joke, but I said theory) and punishment. While she did apparently reform, she sort of skipped out on the punishment part and there is no telling how much time and money were spent by the state on the search after she escaped. Personally, I don’t see anything productive that will come from sending her back to prison for 51/2 yrs. maybe 6 months or a year?
Well reformed is the only logical way to go if you’re hiding! No?
Yes, she should be pardoned.
She should live out the rest of the sentence, however, she is living a good life and has cleaned up. So… I’m not sure on this one.
Pardoned with the remaining time translated into some comparable community service. If she is so clearly reformed, why waste tax dollars on her being in prison?
no way absolutely not. There are other prisoners who are still IN jail that have “changed” and still have to finish their sentences. SHE DESERVES to go back. We should NOT reward people for escaping prison.
All right. Gave it more thought. She should be pardoned.
@RedHairedCelt - wow you got that sentence down pat, are you a judge or something? ha.
She shouldn’t be pardoned, but they should be lenient in their sentencing. Our jails are already so crowded non-reformed prisoners are getting early release. I agree with the comment above that said probation, community service and a fine.
No, not because of her charge, but because she ran away.
I think that we should never reward people for breaking out of prison.
Prisons are supposed to be correctional facilities, not to detain people like rats. And wow, why is the sentence for drug trafficking so harsh?
Anyway, I think she should be fully let off. Imprisoning her just for the sake of it just defeats the purpose.
yes, since she has been living an exemplary life.
Well, not FULLY. Community service and a fine.
that or maybe give her half the sentence that only give her 3yrs back in prison! orrrr have her check in with a poral {sp} officer
hmmm that is a hard one, because she does look like she cleaned up her life and didnt go back to her old lifestyle BUT…she did break the law not once, but twice. And I think that she should have to serve time for escaping. I dont think it is worth 5 years tho, maybe a year to 18 months. I mean c’mon, rapists get lighter sentences than that.
Of course the justice system is so weak and broken and unfair, that she will probably get the entire sentence because they want to make an example out of her. But they let the pedophiles, murderers and rapists off with a slap on the wrist.
no. this would set a precedent that if you escape and “lead a productive life” that you would be free of the original charges
Unless she was selling/giving drugs to kids, she shouldn’t have ever been brought up on charges in the first place!
Don’t pardon her because she has “learned her lesson”. Pardon her because she hasn’t done anything wrong.
BTW who gives 20 years to a 19-year-old for drugs? What the hell?
She did sell heroin after all. Perhaps her one year in hell was enough…as she did live a reformed life after that. I’d give her a fine, have her do community service, and put her on probation.
This is a hard one. She was apparently 19 according to the article when she got in trouble the first time. We all do stupid things at 19. It’s been so long since she committed the crime. She’s obviously has become a better person since then. While it isn’t fair for her that she broke out of prison and never served her entire sentence, to me, at this point, that is a moot point. I think a better idea would be to give her some sort of probation where if she ever sticks a toe out of line, she will then have to serve at least part of her sentence. I kind of find myself wondering why it took so long to find her though…
probably they could change the sentence into some community work
This is rough. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to lock her away again…that might just undo the positive changes she’s made in her life. But yeah, community work might be a good idea.
no.
the entire idea that she is reformed is negated with the revelation that she cheated to get that reformation. who is to say that other people held for drug trafficking wouldn’t have reformed if allowed to serve 9 yrs short of their sentences? nope i don’t agree just because she worked super hard to be something new doesn’t erase that she once performed an illegal act that got caught and she was convicted to serve time in prison for that act. she chose to cheat that sentence by running away and now thinks that all those acts are eliminated because she raised some kids?
bitch please, get off your white ass and get back in prison for at least a portion of your time!
Yes! because that is the whole point of incarceration– to keep you away from the public bc the courts feel you will do harm to society at the same time punishing you. She obviously has proven that she is reformed (what prison usually tries to do with their criminals b/c there is a lot of time to think!) and she has served her years of punishment.
Whoa, she looks like a lady i used to work with…
@lyricsninja - i completely agree with you. unless other similar cases have already been trialed prior to this and have established precedents on what the charge should be.
I think she should be put on some sort of probation and have to report, but putting her back in jail would only cause problems…if she had KILLED someone it would be a completely different case. But then who knows who died because of the drugs she trafficed. It’s a sad situation however you slice it especially for her children. If people could only see drugs are nothing but trouble to begin with. Just sad!
she did the crime, she needs to do the time. there are people in prison finishing their sentences and are reformed. why should she be let off and not them. she should actually have to do a little extra for escaping.
I have to wonder that if this was a woman from the hood who did the exact same thing – lived an above board life after escaping from prison – I wonder if there would be so many willing to give her a pass on the rest of her sentence? Somehow I doubt it.
My answer would be no, regardless of who she is. Perhaps her sentence should be eased, but I don’t think she should receive a full pardon. Think of it this way: instead of just the original offense of drug trafficking, she has two offenses: trafficking and escaping from prison. Both of which are punishments not yet met. If she gets a pardon for escaping and living it up (even if it was a good life), what kind of message do you suppose that would send to other offenders? And not just drug offenders – other kinds of offenders – more violent offenders?
This woman did the crime, I think she should do the rest of her time. Perhaps she’s changed and I think that’s wonderful. Maybe she’s forgiven in the eyes of God but not in the eyes of the law. She should not evade facing justice for what she’s done before just because she escaped and managed not to get caught.
Well perhaps her remaining time could be served in community service?
so would everyone be so willing to allow her to remain free if she looked like this: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-1597395.html
or like this: http://www.stockphotoideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/1142011445337418.jpg
or if she was at this moment 19 and they gave her the sentence and she ran away how many would feel her freedom was deserved then? double standards…WOOOO! what if this was a man?
@CrazyXBeautifulXDisaster - LOL, no, I’m not. But I play one on TV?
@Little_Lady27 - I’m w/ you on this… I think she “reformed” only to not get caught… how has she really reformed… and wtf? we don’t think that drug charges are that bad… have you ever met anyone on heroin??? seriously… who’s to say she’s even cleaned up for real… people who use heroin “can” be really good at hiding that fact and appear to be upstanding citizens… I say throw her ass in back in jail well I agree w/ RedHairedCelt… that sounds pretty good…
I don’t think so. What about Sara Jane Olson? She was just released from prison, had been living a productive life BEFORE being arrested, and had to go back to serve her last year because they let her out too early by mistake. That’s stupid. If she’s allowed to stay out because she’s *changed,* then everybody in the same boat should be let out too. And yes, I do think that Sara Jane Olson should be out of jail, lol…
“Do you think the governor should pardon Susan because she has gone on to live a productive life?”
Absolutely not. This woman should never even had the chance to reform her life. If anything, she should face additional punishment by escaping from prison.
BTW Dan: This was a GREAT subject to post about. Its interesting to see everyones opinions on this issue.
@ventalism - our legal system is kind of ridiculous when it comes to that stuff. really it needs a rewrite, but who the heck wants to take that job on…
So, she should have to serve her time for her crimes. She could have done that 32 years ago and then moved on to have a productive life. Instead she ran and hid and now she needs to pay the piper…
I think they could reduce her ‘remaining sentence’ but a pardon is a very special thing not to be abused.
she should take resposibility for her actions…because otherwise her children will think they can get away with things they shouldn’t do. I don’t necessarily think she should go to jail…but she should have to serve in some capacity…to set an example that there are still always consequences for our actions.
there is generally a statue of limitations for everything..it would seem after 32 years, they could let this go. Slap her on the wrist and admire her skills at evading her sentence I say. of course prison is all about money for the state, and the state probably wants it s money, so they will probably throw the book at her.
I say give her six months for escaping…she clearly didn’t break out of prison to return to her criminal activities. She looks like a decent person..and after 32 years why punish her for something she did when she was young and ignorant?
She needs to be pardoned.
HEY!!! Welcome back Dan!!!
@saintvi - I honestly like this idea. It’s nice to see someone actually change their life. She should still feel the wrath of the law, but definitely not in nine more years of prison.
@Samara - ”there is generally a statue of limitations for everything..it would seem after 32 years, they could let this go…”
So if a murderer and rapist were to break out of prison and were able to keep out of sight for 32 years, we should forgive and forget?
Or maybe we should just forgive those we can muster sympathy for?
Would they Pardon her if she were a black male?
There’s a huge bias towards blond women.
People really shouldn’t have incentive to escape prison, perhaps commute her sentence to probation and lots and lots of community service, but not a mere pardon.
(It costs 30k a year to house someone in prison)
in a way yes but in a way no. i say yes because it seems like she has changed and is living a better life. i also say no because she committed a crime and she should face that. also what would it be telling all other drug trafficing people who have not been caut yet. i bet they would think they could somewhat get away with it since she did.
i think she should at least be put on probation
reform? she hasn’t reformed. She is guilty of escaping from jail. a crime that she committed for 32 years. how is a 32 year old crime now called “reform”? if she had reformed she would have taken her punishment and then moved on to be a productive person.
Nicole Ritchie was caught with heroine, vicodin, marijuana, speeding down a high way against traffic, and was incarcerated for 82 minutes due to “over crowding in the jail system”. If we can show this kind of bias to celebrities, why can’t we show this bias to regular citizens?
Ok so she is reformed but the fact is there is a strong message that is being given about breaking out of jail. So letting her go completely would not be the answer; community service may be too light of a sentence. Punishment should be a statement on why you should not break out of jail… maybe her punishment should be to go into the jails and help young women in changing their ways.
I saw a similiar situation with an older guy recently.. He had killed a man in Oregon many many years ago. He turned 60 ( i think not sure exact age) and he came back and confessed.
They ruled it self defense becuz there (in my opinion) so much time had passed that they could not have done anything else.. But he ran from the crime and in the book makes him just as guilty..
Since it is drug trafficking and she obviously changed her life then I think I would be ok with a pardon from prison for her.. perhaps she could pay restitution or something…
a LOT can change in 32 yrs!
If we choose to see this from a humane manner, i believe she should be pardoned in any case. True enough, putting a criminal in jail is not merely based on one singular reason of getting the criminal reformed. As per some of the comments above had already state, the pardoning of her can send the wrong message to the public. Still, if i were to be the judge, i will let her off. Not only because i think she has turned over a new leaf (but again, the certainty we have here isn’t a sure bet), and that i still choose to believe there is this eventual good in all humans, irregardless of whatever wrong we did before.
Maybe not so much. If her crime was animal abuse, i think she should be caught back to prison and be slapped with a lifetime imprisonment, no matter how productive her life became after that.
Of course she reformed her life, she’s spent the last 32 years trying not to get caught.The only way to not get caught is to be on your best behavior at all times. Its just like the idea of sending criminals to prison only makes them better criminals. She’s spent the last 32 years learning to be better at hiding out.
Probably 6 months would be more than fair. Usually 9 years means closer to 2 years, anyways.
@huginn - nothing is ever black or white, cut and dry. why do rapists get lighter sentences than people caught with marijuana for instance? my comment was in regards to this woman’s case only. surely what you suggest is not what I said. in the balance of it all none of us have any say over what happens to this woman. we are merely people with free time and free lives online musing over another’s misfortunes.
@RedHairedCelt - I have to agree completely.
It’s the modern version of Les Miserables…..
Yes, they should pardon her
Correctional facilities are supposed to be used for what their name suggests: correcting behavior. This woman has not only corrected her behavior, she has gone on to change her life completely and serve her community. It also seems like the original punishment was overly harsh for the crime committed. To bring her back in and have her serve the rest of her time would be to ignore all the good that she has done.
I don’t think that would be fair. It would sort of negate the notion of equal justice under the law.
deff. does not look like the type of gal to be all up in the drug business lol
but I think she should serve the rest of her sentence. She shouldn’t have ran. She could have turned herself back in a long ass time ago. Did her husband know before that she ran? lol
Yeah, I think so.
I mean…drug-trafficking isn’t really that big of a deal. Especially because it was probably only pot, anyway.
<33
NO… She still did the crime. And she may have led a productive life but she was still breaking the law by doing it the way she did.
Holy cow! I didn’t know they could still arrest you after that long a time span for that type of offense.
However, she should have to face some sort of penalty then. Maybe she could help run a half-way house, or something like that?
I think she should have to be on the ankle bracelet thingy for a couple years and then probation 5 years.
btw, are the people who helped her escape going to pay any sort of penalty for helping her escape?
Welcome Back, Dan! We missed you!
@Innuendo__X - It wasn’t pot, it was heroin, and she made several thousand dollars a week selling the stuff.
@Samara - ”nothing is ever black or white… my comment was in regards to this woman’s case only.”
Due process of the law should be clear. Our justice system and how it works ought to be objective, and cut and dry. Those sentenced for a crime needs to serve out that sentence. People who cheat the system should not be rewarded– regardless of how many people feel sorry for them.
“…we are merely people with free time and free lives online musing over another’s misfortunes.”
Ha. Yes, we are.
@CFAman2004 - Oh. Okay. -shrug- Whatever.
I think the conflict here is the type of crime committed. I’m pretty sure more people would be against “forgiving” her had she been directly involved in a violent crime with identifiable victims.
Isn’t prison about rehabilitation?
Or is it about numbers. We got her! We need our numbers, so in the clink she goes.
Besides? Drug trafficking? We need all the drugs we can get, it’s the only way I can stay sane…
@goodbyedinner - That is what I would suggest also.
@tinahawt -she (nicole) didn’t ESCAPE and act as a fugitive for 32 years! big difference!
@CFAman2004 - when you’re a fugitive there are no limitations.@Samara -ha ha ha! would you feel this way if the woman were black and a man? probably not! the fact is time for one crime was not served through the act of committing a second crime that also happens to come with an additional sentence. you say to take this woman’s individual case, really? because there is no individual in the criminal justice system, there is the law. the law sets a standard within which the individual must act, this woman did not do that. there are no other facts needed. just because i stole bread to feed my starving child does not negate the fact that i STOLE the bread and would be forced to serve time if caught. there are circumstances that can be levied in any situation to attempt to justify the act and it is just a matter of getting past those justifications to see that the facts are her having committed multiple crimes.
“Obviously” (if this is her true picture) she has reformed herself and is trying to lead a productive life – one probably a whole lot better than if she had stayed in prison. I might add that putting her back into the prison system would force taxpayers to pay for a person who could be working productively (and paying taxes) on the outside. I’d pardon her after a careful home-study and parole for about 3 years.
The point of jail time is to reform criminals (supposedly) so since she’s been a good girl she shouldn’t go back to jail. I’d feel good about having her do community service instead of jail time.
She shouldn’t be pardoned, what kind of message is that sending? But maybe she should get to serve parole or something – isn’t the point of prison to rehabilitate prisoners also? Sounds like she has changed her lifestyle.
Hey! You are back for comments. I’ve enjoyed reading during your break, too.
But, yes, I believe some sort of commuted sentence (is that the term?) should be assigned.
Anybody who escapes from prison and then leads a good life is A-O-K in my book! What would be the purpose of jailing her now?
I agree that 19 was way too young for a sentence like that. I think her case should be reveiwed.
just earning more points
Maybe they could put her on parole and have her do community service.
YES. For one, drugs don’t deserve a 20-year sentence (unless she was selling them illegally to minors or whatnot), and two, she has a lived a good life so far. I think they should make her do community service, though.
She committed the crime, and should have to serve her full sentence, like the law says. If anything, they should tack on some more community service because she escaped from jail. It’s only fair. Sure, it sucks, but she has to do face the full repercussions of her actions.
Shorten it, yes, but keep her totally out of it, no.
Probation, maybe?
Don’t know…..
so if there was a rapist who killed a girl after raping her who later escaped from prison and led a model life:
1. he adopted three children
2. he became a main leader in the big brother / big sister organization
3. he donated his kidney to an underprivileged homeless womanand
4. he gave time, money and leadership to victims of rape groups
should we also commute his sentence?
I say pardon her for sure….give her 2 years community service………….if all criminals could end up this way we would not have so much crime
She escaped from jail. No, she should not be pardoned. I don’t care if she’s “reformed”
An eternity of community service maybe, but she shouldn’t be taken away from her family, but she also should be able to get off scott free. That’s setting a bad example and while she is a better person now, she shouldn’t have trafficked drugs in the first place!
I wish my grandma would bust me out…
absolutely.
Yes, I think she should be pardoned. The idea of prison should be to reform. Since she already turned her life around, there would be no point. I do think she should pay some sort of penalty for running away though, just to keep order in check.
I wonder what these answers would say if it were a black man with three children?
How is H-Town treating you Dan?
what’s the difference would it make ? she commit a crime and ran away, she should have paid for it when she had the chance. now that the past caught up, it’s time to face it.
I say no because Michigan doesn’t have the money to have her in prison for something stupid like this. We have the worst economy!
She broke yet another law by escaping from prison and evading the law for so many years. I think she needs to face charges for escaping and both the remaining time from the previous sentence and her “reformed” life should be taken into consideration during sentencing.I don’t believe a pardon is appropriate, but if she has truly learned from her past and changed maybe probation or a combination of some jail time and probation is appropriate. Letting her off scott free is just telling society that it is o.k. to escape from responsibility for your crimes.
@mkenyon719 - Michigan can actually make some money if they execute her and harvest her organs for the black market.
@huginn - lol
@Aslans_daughter - ..I might add that putting her back into the prison system would force taxpayers to pay for a person who could be working productively (and paying taxes) on the outside…
Great point! By this reasoning, then, murderers and rapists ought to have lighter sentences if they have productive jobs on the side. Less prison time means a better economy!
I think an important point is that by cheating the system, this woman was able to recover the best years of her life. Serving 10 years of a person’s 20′s is very different from serving 10 years of a person’s 50′s or 60′s.
I understand the argument of “the benifit of perspective.” The role of prison is not solely rehabilitation, but punishment for things done and detereance for would-be criminals. While the former element is negated entirely, the later element remains.
As a matter of fact I would feel the same way if the person was a black man, or a black woman. It is really..really..REALLY sad to hear that ignorant comment in this day and age in which we live. That goes to show we have not really come that far at all. And as for the law, laws are made by men to be broken by men. Laws come to pass, and then they are revoked. It used to be legal to lynch someone because they were accused of a crime, not even allowing the accused a trial. There is such a thing as bad laws. And I am not saying the woman should not be punished. But there is so much more to take into consideration than the fact that a powerful man wrote a sentence and signed his name and proclaimed, “Becasue I said so.”
@huginn - huh..you know..THAT is an excellent point..she has lived a long fulfilling life and now if she were to go away for a long time, that is extremely different from having your youth ripped from you for a crime you committed. That is cheating all the people who have served their time for commmitting similar crimes.
Pardoned? No. Imprisoned? No. Obviously she needs to go back before the court but it would be a waste of time and resources to put her back in prison when she’s done herself what prison is meant to do. I like the idea of community service, but in Detroit. Let her live and work in a halfway house for paroled drug offenders for 6 months. I think that’s consequence enough in the circumstances, and there is an element of reparation as well.
Yeah, pardon her but maybe invoke some type of community service…where she can actually give to the community since as a drug trafficer she was actually hurting the community.
eh, i’d usually say No. but i recently saw Les Miserables, and Jean Valjean has inspired me. so, yes, the governer should pardon her.
i think she should be pardoned, at least to community service. if she was involved with drugs being back intot hat lifestyle surrounding that there is in jail would be hard.
sure
if she changed
She should do community service, maybe something for the war on drugs.
Dear Dan:
The purpose of prison is to remove criminals from decent society for the citizen’s protection. Although she committed a crime and then wrongfully escaped detention, she’s nevertheless led a clean and responsible life for 32 years since. For that reason, I’d be in favor of clemency.
Don’t get me wrong, here. I’m as much in favor of tough sentencing as anyone. I have nothing but disdain for those who “get religion” in jail and expect leniency in return. A true Christian bears his penance with humility and fortitude. But Mrs. LeFevre has apparently proved her soul’s worthiness by her life’s story since. In this case, mercy should temper the process.
BTW: There was a similar case back in the 1980s. After a silly family squabble, a granddaughter turned in her father to the police. He had escaped from jail for armed robbery (he was the wheelman) back during the Prohibition Era! He had led an exemplary life ever since. Surrounded by his saddened and distraught family, he told the Sheriff (who came in person), “I won’t give you no trouble, Sheriff.” The Sheriff was nearly in tears himself! The man was quickly released on his own recognizance and was formally pardoned soon afterward. And, yes, being a Christian, he forgave his granddaughter… who was the most distressed of them all!
She still owes a debt to society. It has to be paid some way or another. She should have to be listed as a convicted fellon. Also aren’t we sending a message that if you escape and make it on the outside you get a pass? This is a very troubling situation. I don’t see an easy answer. She has clearly changed but she owes a debt.
@STEVENPILL - Very Good post!
@maxximumforce - Thanks. And, yes, I agree that some penance has to be offered by Mrs. LeFevre. That both she and that old bank robber I mentioned grew up in wild and lawless times is no excuse in itself. The fact that they both demonstrated since their inherent decency (whether they deserved the opportunity or not!) still has to count for something. The old guy was in his 80s, so no one was going to demand remittance from him! Mrs. LeFevre, however, can probably find a nearby park that needs some attention!
yes! it was wrong of her to leave before her sentence had ended, but evidently, she is leading a pretty reformed, and good life.
wow, they gave her the max sentence, even though she pleaded guilty? I think that’s too much. and she was only 19. and i can’t believe someone anonymously tipped the police about her
I say, just let it go.
@goodbyedinner - i agree, that sounds good.
and that picture of her makes her look very sweet.
she did say she had been trying to be extra good. it’s just an interesting picture to go with the words drug trafficking.
yah accha hai.