| Updated: Jan. 22, 2021, 12:35 a.m.
One Utahn and four people recommended by former Utah federal prosecutor-turned-lobbyist Brett Tolman received grants of clemency from President Donald Trump on his final morning in office.
Lynn Barney of Enoch received a full pardon for felony convictions. He had received a 35-month prison sentence for possessing a firearm after another felony conviction for distributing a small amount of marijuana.
“Since his release from prison, Mr. Barney has been a model citizen and has devoted himself to his work and children,” the White House wrote in a news release.
Garfield County Commissioner Jerry Taylor said he grew up with Barney’s parents and gave Barney a job shortly after his release from prison several years ago.
As Donald Trump leaves the white house there is some unfinished business he wanted to complete. Recently Trump went on to make a few pardons before exiting the White House. In addition to his recent pardons, he also granted clemency to certain individuals who were imprisoned due to cannabis-related crimes.
Those individuals were Craig Cesal, who was granted clemency for his cannabis conviction. As well as Michael Pelletier, who has served over a decade of a life sentence over a federal marijuana conviction. Another pardon came in for cannabis activist Weldon Angelos. This has caused quite a stir but also sets an example of what may come with the potential of federal cannabis legalization.Joe Biden Has Selected His New DNC Leader
Snoop Dogg, who's been harshly critical of Donald Trump throughout his presidency, praised the outgoing president during his final hours in the White House.
Harris played a crucial role in the founding of Death Row Records: In 1992, while in jail, he gave Suge Knight $1.5 million to help him start the label. Death Row would go on to be the home for Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac as West Coast rap exploded during the early Nineties.
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The Daily Beast previously reported, Harris has spent nearly 30 years in prison on attempted murder and cocaine trafficking charges. His sentence was supposed to last until 2028, although efforts to get him a pardon or compassionate release ramped up this year. Harris reportedly suffers from an autoimmune disease, and the Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc in California, where he was being held, was one of many prisons to suffer a devastating Covid-19 outbreak last year.