Governor Bill Lee announced executive clemency decisions for 17 offenders who have demonstrated a successful path to rehabilitation and established a new process for individuals seeking clemency for drug-free school zone convictions.
Those include an exoneration for Adam Braseel of Grundy County, who spent 12 years of a 51-year sentence for a murder it is now believed he did not commit.
He was convicted in the death of 60-year-old Malcolm Burrows in Tracy City in 2006. The victim's daughter picked him out of a photo lineup.
Executive clemency decisions are made in consultation with the Tennessee Board of Parole, which issues non-binding recommendations for each case.
“After reviewing the unique merits of each case, I have made the decision to grant these individuals executive clemency,” said Governor Lee. “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:
- 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
Additional information on executive clemency can be found here.
Executive Clemency Grants
Adam Braseel of Grundy County – Executive Action: Exoneration
Brandon Benson of Anderson County – Executive Action: Pardon
Nathaniel Boyd of Shelby 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
Charles Hall of Shelby County – Executive Action: Commutation to parole eligibility upon completing certain programming
Proclamations granting individuals clemency can be viewed here.
Updated Drug-Free School Zone Process
The Governor’s Office and the Tennessee Department of Correction will introduce a new clemency review process for drug-free school zone offenses committed prior to September 1, 2020.
This action follows legislation passed in the 2020 legislative session to reduce 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 new process will expedite the review of convictions for those sentenced under prior Tennessee law to determine whether they merit consideration for a review of their sentence under the new law. There are currently 335 individuals incarcerated for drug-free school zone offenses committed prior to September 1, 2020.
To qualify, individuals must not have been involved in the sale or distribution to a minor or have incurred 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.