Sources who spoke exclusively to Mic on Wednesday told the outlet that Trump has granted clemency to Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old woman who was serving a life sentence for a first time, non-violent drug offense.
The decision was made one week after Kim Kardashian‘s White House visit where she advocated on Johnson’s behalf. Johnson’s case gained national attention after several prison reform advocates and organizations raised awareness surrounding her circumstances.
In 1996 Johnson was found guilty of “facilitating communications in a cocaine trafficking operation in Memphis, Tennessee,” according to Mic. She was handed a life sentence without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years, after multiple witnesses testified against her in court.
Many prison reform advocates hoped that former President Barack Obama would grant Johnson clemency in the winter of 2016 because of Obama’s commitment to overturn first time non-violent drug offenses. After Obama left office, Johnson’s fate laid in Trump’s hands.
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Since October, Kardashian was one of Johnson’s most public champions, and has worked with her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, alongside Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, to meet with the president. Kardashian was first made aware of Johnson’s case after she watched a video report by Mic’s Opinion desk.
According to Mic, Johnson will shortly be released from the Aliceville Correctional Facility in Alabama and will return to her family after almost 22 years.
SOURCE: Mic
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Trump Grants Alice Marie Johnson Clemency After Kim Kardashian’s White House Visit was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
