President Joe Biden pardoned several Virginians in his last hours in office, including Speaker of the House Don Scott and two men serving life sentences related to the 1998 killing of a Sussex County police officer.
Scott was convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 1994. He served eight years for it and became an attorney once he left prison.
In 2019, he ran for the House of Delegates to represent Portsmouth. He won, and was chosen by the legislature to be the first Black Speaker of the House in Virginia’s history in 2024.
In a press release, Biden wrote Scott’s supporters “highlighted his dedication to public service, his remorse and redemption, and his tireless commitment to improving the lives of those around him.”
Virginia Congressional Rep. Bobby Scott wrote a letter in support of Scott’s pardon.
“Don Scott will be the first to admit that he made a life-changing mistake as a young man while attending school at Louisiana State University,” Scott wrote in the letter to Biden. “The man he is today, however, exemplifies integrity, responsibility, and fidelity to the law. His story demonstrates what the goal of our justice system should be – rehabilitation and restorative justice.”
Presidential pardons don't necessarily clear criminal records. Some are formal expressions of forgiveness and can help people convicted of felonies get some rights back.
Scott’s voting rights were restored in 2013 under former Republican Governor Bob McDonnell, but he told Black Virginia News there were other rights he was unsure about since his conviction.
“I used to hunt with my uncle, you know what I mean? So I hadn't hunted in years,” he told the outlet. “I don't know if I'm going to hunt again, but if I wanted to go now, I think I wouldn't have any restrictions from going to another state because my rights are restored in Virginia.”
“But, you know, that's really minor stuff ... My life is really good right now. And so I think it's more important that people know that there are people who believe in redemption, that believe in second chances and it's not just lip service.”
Other Virginia pardons
Biden also pardoned Kemba Smith of Northern Virginia, whose 1994 drug offense was commuted in 2000 by former President Bill Clinton.
Smith is from Richmond and briefly attended Hampton University in the early ’90s. While there, she began dating a man who sold drugs. The relationship was abusive and Smith was coerced into participating in her partner’s illegal activity.
Eventually, pregnant by her abusive partner and having dropped out of college, Smith turned herself in and was sentenced to 24.5 years in prison for her first criminal offense.
When Clinton commuted her sentence in 2000, Smith was able to leave prison and became an advocate for a number of issues, including sentencing standards, domestic violence and more.
Smith was appointed to the Virginia Sentencing Commission and Virginia Parole Board and is a “fierce and courageous advocacy for incarcerated persons and survivors of domestic violence,” Biden wrote in a press release.
Not all of Biden’s decisions were met with celebration. Among the almost 2,500 pardons the President issued were Ferrone Claiborne and Terrence Richardson of Sussex County.
Biden granted clemency to the two men who have been jailed since 1999 for killing Waverly police officer Allen Gibson.
Biden’s order isn’t just a symbolic order of forgiveness; it requires Virginia to release the men on Feb. 17. They are currently serving life sentences, but are scheduled to be released in July, according to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office.
The President didn’t provide details on his decision, but Claiborne and Richardson have maintained their innocence despite taking a plea deal in state court for involuntary manslaughter. The deal allowed the pair to avoid facing a jury trial for capital murder, which would mean they could have been sentenced to death.
The two Black men were also tried in federal court, where they were convicted on drug charges, but acquitted of murder by a jury. Still, the federal judge ignored the jury’s acquittal and sentenced the men to life in prison.
Youngkin said in a press release he was “beyond outraged” and in “utter disbelief” at Biden’s decision related to Claiborne and Richardson.
“The pain and sorrow this clemency causes the Gibson family is unimaginable. To know that the men who took Officer Gibson’s life will walk free is not just a grave injustice — it is a heartbreaking blow to those who continue to mourn his sacrifice,” Youngkin said.
