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Letter of Support AG Judy White
Letter of Support AG Judy White
E, \^/ALNUT ST.
NT-IORNEY GFNERAL DES MOINES, IA 50319
P:515-281-5164
www.iowaattorney general. gov
I do not nTake tliis recommendation lightly. Indeed, this is the first such letter I have ever writtcn
in my career,
I would support the Governor's exercise of hel powel's under the Iowa Constitution, Articie IV,
Sec. 16. If the Govemoi- would grant a comrnutation oi'Ms. White's sentence, at sonle point in
the near luture you, as a Board, can exercise your" good judgment as whether to grant Judy
palole.
I know you al'e tholoughly tamiliar with the facts of this mattel and so I will not restate thern in
this letter. I wiil instead make the lbllowing fbw points:
F'irst, although by no rneans is Ms. White innocent, I think a fair reading of the facts in
this case show that of ail the culpable palties involved, Ms. White was the least culpable,
but has received the harshest punishment.
Second, the Cedar County Attotney's Office has maintained their position, for decades
now, that Ms. White's sellterce be commuted to a term of thirty years. 1 now concur with
that request and I note that it was our office that successfully upheld her corrviction, I
also note. as of course you know, she lras already served tbrty-one years,
l'hird, Ms. White has served her time in prison well, helping her fbllow inrnates and the
institution. To back this up, I am told that at least two of her lbrmer wardens, that
supervised her for years ancl years, also support hel commr.rtation. I think that is rare.
Fourth, although not terminally iil, Ms. White's health is failing. She has, I'm told, a
support structure waiting for her if she were to be released, both farniliai and community
f iends. I think it is fair to say that Ms, \Mhite poses no safety risk.
Lastly, as the legendary Judge Learned Hand orrce said. "Justice, I thinie, is the tolerable
accommodaticn of tlre canflicting interest o1'sr:ciety, and I dorr't believe there is any royal r.oad
tr: attain such accomm$dations concretely." I know that this decision is a dilficult one but I hope
you will find that if you recourmend commutation to the (iovem*r, given the totality of all of the
circumstances in this matter, that it would be in the good and measured interest ofjustice to do
sf).
.-&
Sincerely,
3*!P*