Executive Council and the Governor will vote on Ward Bird’s pardon today
I have been covering the story of Ward Bird–the New Hampshire man jailed for defending his property–for quite awhile now as updates became available, and at long last we should know his fate today. Yesterday Ward Bird finally had his pardon hearing and during his closing argument he made his case with a one sentence plea for freedom when he simply stated, “God as my witness, and on the honor of my family and my friends in this room today, I did not point or wave a firearm at Christine Harris, and that’s all I have to say.”
Governor John Lynch and the Executive Council now hold Ward Bird’s fate in their hands and will rule on his case later today. I have to believe that in light of one incident in Ward Bird’s past that the chances are he will receive a commutation of his sentence rather than a full pardon; he will gain his freedom but lose his right to keep and bear arms because the felony conviction will still be on his record.
I will have a post later tonight when we learn how this case has been resolved.
NH Tea Party Coalition
I’m watching the Facebook page anxiously. I am very hopeful and based on some of the comments made, it seems like the hearing went well. I’ll be looking forward to your follow up article later.
His sentence was commuted, Ward Bird will be going home.
I followed the anticipated update in Facebook. I must admit that I am saddened to hear that it was a commuted sentence as opposed to a pardon. I know the old expression, “beggars can’t be choosers” and we all wanted him to get his proper freedom back but this was an example of absolute lunacy. There truly was a mistrial and complete misrepresentation of truths in a rush to convict him that he deserved a pardon and an expungement of the event. I wonder, does the commutation prevent him from seeking punitive financial retribution against the state for an unfair judgment? Is that the reason for a seemingly political decision by the Governor? I don’t know, maybe I’m too skeptical here but it seems like a sneaky way out of admitting guilt.
I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I think part of the reason for the compromise decision was pressure from the anti-gun left wing of the party. I think Lynch might have been afraid to fully go against the far left.