Former Mississippi Governor pardons repeat drunk driver

by Guy Kilty, February 3rd, 2012
Former Mississippi Governor pardons repeat drunk driver

As Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour made his way out of office, he granted almost 200 pardons, four of which were given to convicted murderers.

But the real public outrage arose when news spread that one pardon was granted to a repeat drunk driver who was in jail for his fourth DUI - given to him after an accident that killed 18-year-old Charity Smith, CNN reports.

After his third DUI arrest, Harry Bostick spent one year on house arrest before applying for a pardon from Governor Haley Barbour. Bostick, a former IRS investigator, had many letters written on his behalf from high-profile friends, with one federal prosecutor stating that "Harry no longer drinks alcohol and can now be a positive factor in many lives."

Only seven days after being recommended for the pardon, Bostick was involved in an alleged drunk driving accident that resulted in the death of Smith. He was then incarcerated for violating his previous DUI sentence, but while awaiting charges, his pardon was granted.

The governor's office says it did not perform a last minute check on Bostick, and had no idea he had been arrested for a fourth time.

Such cases often lead victims' families to contact a wrongful death attorney to determine available legal options.

All content on Accidents.com is for informational purposes only and is NOT intended as legal or medical advice. Please seek advice from a professional on any related topics.

Tags:  DUI Lawyers

4 Comments

James L
February 3, 2012
Once again, "the system" fails. Executive pardons have gotten out of hand, and this time Gov. Haley Barbour has blood on his hands. While he may have acted within the bounds of his rights as governor, his administration clearly failed to review all documents and this pardon (and many others) were given out carelessly. I hope the mother sues the driver and the state of Mississippi!
Marcia
February 3, 2012
Wow, such a tragedy! I agree that the system of executive pardons should be changed, but any insinuation that Gov. Barbour or his administration is to blame is ridiculous. Once again, James proves that our society has become lawsuit happy. If anyone is sued, it should be the driver - not the Governor, who had no part in the drinking or driving. Accidents to happen, but you can't sue everyone under the sun - they are ACCIDENTS, after all!
Scott
February 4, 2012
Got to wholeheartedly agree with James. I also agree that there are way too many frivolous suits but this is not a case of spilling hot coffee on yourself. This is about a life taken by a guy who should not have been on the streets. Sure, he is responsible for his action but the Governor's office is certainly also responsible for not doing its due diligence. The young lady could have been a victim of an accident anyway, but I kind of think she would be alive today were this chronic threat not allowed to go free.
Tommy Clark
February 11, 2012
The article indicates the girls death was not caused by the pardon but was before the pardon. But no excuse for the crime. Probably at least one of the people who had recommended him for a pardon could have told Babour about the accident event and stopped the pardon.
I stand with Barbour on basing the Pardons on Christian principles of forgiveness to people who have repented of their sins/crimes and demonstrated a changed character and life.

Leave a Comment

Name
Email
Website
Verification
Please enter in the box above.
Comment
Name and Email are required. Your email will not be published.

More News

By filling out our free case evaluation form, you are NOT forming an attorney-client relationship. You can only retain an attorney by entering into a fee agreement; by submitting our form you are not entering into a fee agreement. Our form is not a request for legal advice. Any information that you will receive in response to your questions is general information and you will NOT be charged for it. THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. The attorneys listed on and within the Accidents.com webpages have paid an advertisement fee to Accidents.com. The attorney pages shall not be considered an endorsement of an attorney or referral to an attorney by the Accidents.com service. Your use of this site is subject to additional Terms & Conditions.

Accidents.com is the fastest growing community of accident attorneys, medical and safety professionals working to minimize the impact accidents have on our lives. Learn more.

All content on Accidents.com is for informational purposes only and is NOT intended as legal or medical advice. Please seek advice from a professional on any related topics.


Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Copyright © 2012, Brightgeist Media, Inc.