NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two Shelby County men are among 17 offenders Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced would receive executive clemency.
Executive clemency, according to the governor’s office, is granted to those “who have demonstrated a successful path to rehabilitation.” The decisions are made with consultation from the Tennessee Board of Parole.
“After reviewing the unique merits of each case, I have made the decision to grant these individuals executive clemency,” said Gov. Lee said in a news release. “These men and women have shown they are ready for productive lives beyond their sentences, and I appreciate the Board of Parole’s consideration in this process.”
There are three types of executive clemency, according the governor’s office:
- Exoneration – a finding by the governor that an applicant did not commit the crime for which he or she was convicted
- Pardon – an official statement of forgiveness of an offense, typically granted to an applicant who completed his or her sentence more than 5 years ago and who has demonstrated good cause for forgiveness
- Commutation – a reduction in an applicant’s sentence
From Shelby County, Nathaniel Boyd is receiving a pardon, and Charles Hall is getting commutation to parole eligibility upon completing certain programming.
The other 15 offenders receiving clemency are listed below:
Executive Clemency Grants
- Adam Braseel of Grundy County – Executive Action: Exoneration
- Brandon Benson of Anderson County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Relerford Brown of Fentress County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Charles Diffie of South Carolina – Executive Action: Pardon
- Zenobia Dobson of Knox County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Michael Graham of Perry County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Tina Jackson of Haywood County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Eugene Lee of Florida – Executive Action: Pardon
- Quantel Lindsey of Georgia – Executive Action: Pardon
- Jasbir Mann of Massachusetts – Executive Action: Pardon
- Kevin Nunley of Bedford County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Charles Sanderfur of Davidson County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Kenney Simpson of Sullivan County – Executive Action: Pardon
- Mindy Dodd of Rutherford County – Executive Action: Commutation to immediate parole eligibility
- Jamie Grimes of Davidson County – Executive Action: Commutation to immediate parole eligibility
Proclamations granting individuals clemency can be viewed here.
Find more information on executive clemency here.
Updated Drug-Free School Zone Process
The Governor’s Office and the Tennessee Department of Correction also announced Thursday a new clemency review process for drug-free school zone offenses committed before September 1, 2020. This comes after a law passed in 2020 reducing the school zone radius to 500 feet, “and to allow stiffer penalties only where vulnerable populations, such as children, were exposed to illicit drug activity.”
The governor’s office said there are currently 335 people in prison for drug-free school zone offenses prior to 2020 who may qualify. They said the convictions will be reviewed.
To qualify, a person must not have been involved in the sale or distribution to a minor or have had a drug-related disciplinary infraction within the past three years, including positive drug screens or dismissal from a treatment program.
Individuals who meet the qualifying criteria may apply here.
