How Virginia freed a cop killer while violating its own parole law
https://justthenews.com/government/state-houses/virginia-inspector-general-finds-parole-board-violated-law-while-releasingThe Virginia Parole Board violated state law while freeing a convicted cop-killer from life in prison earlier this year in a case that angered law enforcement, silenced the ability of victims and critics to weigh in and placed a cloud over the state's judicial reform efforts.
A state inspector general's report made public recently provides the latest controversy to strike the Democratic administration of Gov. Ralph Northam, detailing how the parole board members -- appointed by Northam and his Democratic predecessor Terry McAuliffe - failed to meet statutory deadlines and refused to follow internal policies related to victim testimony.
The board also failed to record minutes of its meeting for a six-month period in a move that prevented public scrutiny, the report found.
The left breaks their own laws. The left has contempt for the law.
The report states that Virginia Parole Board officials, including former Chairwoman Adrienne Bennett, “violated [Code of Virginia] statutes and [Virginia Parole Board] policies and procedures” regarding Martin’s release.
Westfall reported that the parole board did not notify the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney at least a month ahead of the release of the prisoner as required by state law. The state Department of Corrections had on April 15 set Martin's release date for April 30, with the commonwealth's attorney only learning of the pending release that day. State law dictates that the notification must come "at least 21 business days prior to release."
State law also dictates that the parole board must "endeavor diligently" to contact both victims and their families "prior to making any decision to release any inmate on discretionary parole." The board failed to do this in the case of Martin's release, Westfall says; indeed, the report claims that Connors's family was never informed of any of Martin's parole hearings over the 26-year span that he had been receiving them.
