Clemency for early 3-strikes convict in Snohomish County
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - One of the first people to be sentence to life in prison under Washington's "three strikes" law can be released.
Gov. Chris Gregoire agreed last month to commute the sentence of Larry Lee Fisher.
The Daily Herald reports the Department of Corrections is planning his eventual release.
Fisher was sentenced in 1994, just one month after the persistent offender law took effect. He robbed $151 from a Lynnwood sandwich shop. It was his third robbery conviction.
The state Clemency and Pardons Board recommended commuting the life sentence for the 54-year-old. He has accepted responsibility for his actions, apologized to victims and participated in mental health and substance abuse programs in prison.
Gov. Chris Gregoire agreed last month to commute the sentence of Larry Lee Fisher.
The Daily Herald reports the Department of Corrections is planning his eventual release.
Fisher was sentenced in 1994, just one month after the persistent offender law took effect. He robbed $151 from a Lynnwood sandwich shop. It was his third robbery conviction.
The state Clemency and Pardons Board recommended commuting the life sentence for the 54-year-old. He has accepted responsibility for his actions, apologized to victims and participated in mental health and substance abuse programs in prison.
The Evergreen Queen strikes again. When is her time up?Â
The sad part is that he will not have much of a life when he does get out because of his past. Where is he going to find a job? How is he going to support himself? Will he get dicouraged and commit a crime just to go back? It seems to me that the "law" is becoming more of a guideline.
After 20 years in jail and 54 years old, I am inclined to trust the Board's decision on this.Â
We will be sorry. Does the name Maurice Clemmons ring a bell?
Lovely... Take this POS under your wing Chrissy and room and board him and just see how long he goes before his next offense. Woman, you are worthless, now leave already.
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 @deadcandance 19 years for $151? And evidence of actual rehabilitation and acceptance of responsibility? Wow, I think the issue here m/b the pathetic self-righteous stony hearts. Just sayin'.
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I imagine we could come up with "reasons" to s#it-can maybe 99% of the population if we really set our minds to it. Let's see: people who have driven while intoxicated or high but didn't get caught? People who have beaten up their spouses but their victims were intimidated into not reporting them for domestic violence? People who swiped candy bars or adult magazines from the store as children? People who have cheated on their income taxes? People who have repeatedly overdrawn their checking accounts? People who were excessively late paying their rent? People who rolled back their odometers before selling their car(s)? People who sold a home with known reportable issues (chemicals, asbestos, etc.) without reporting them? People who have taken (stolen) supplies from work? People who have cheated on their spouse(s)? Men who had sex (it's called rape) with a woman or girl too drunk or high to resist? People who scraped or dinged cars in parking lots and didn't leave their contact info? People who ever skipped out on a restaurant tab? People who live here but drive with Oregon plates? People who have conspired to understate the purchase price of a car? ...Â
All we need to do is find three......?
@JLS1950 and if that was your loved one being robbed for $151? You're right. It's only $151. The peace of mind the person will probably never feel again is not worth a measly $151. The law should not apply to him for $151. So where do we draw the line? How do we pick and choose? The actual evidence will be if he does not ever commit a crime again, that he gets caught for. Until then he will spend the rest of his life proving himself for his past mistakes. The pathetic stony heart is the one who committed the crime in the first place. Not the ones that want to see the law work the way it is suppose to. Even if it is only $151.
And when he gets out and does it again, will he go back in for the remainder of his life?
What does "Persistent Offender Law" and its consequences mean? What does any future such law mean? Nothing. We are now on the slippery slope to nowhere. Consequences from evil politicians. One big disappointment.Â
Anyone care to start a pool on when this pinhead will rob somebody else? I'm gonna say within two months.
I think I said this earlier......Thank you again Christine Gregoire. Oh and good bye
Right...so he gets out for his 4th, 5th and 6th strikes? Wait for it...
Ask officers and jailer/C O about return criminals. No punishment means no deterent.
I feel bad for his future victims.
Every case is different but within thirty seconds of reading this article I remembered the case of Maurice Clemmons and four dead officers
I want in on the pool that's gessing when he will re-offend. My guess: less than 12 months. Way to go Chris.
 @Jeff Valdez Ha! I will take the "under" as well.
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And if he gets another conviction, will he have two get two more to qualify under 3SYO? Law-abiding minds want to know.
As the girl in the "Lynnwood sandwich shop" who was at the register and was robbed by him, I told the prosecutor when they asked for my comments regarding his clemency hearing, that it wasn't up to me to decide if he gets his sentence commuted or not. People change. I sure am not the same girl I was at 19. And I don't know him, nor do I know what he has been doing the past 20 years. His crimes were pretty minor. He only pretended to have a weapon in his pocket and they found a knife on him but he didn't use that during the robbery. If he has bettered himself, then I don't see that he should have to spend the rest of his life in jail for something so minor. Though I'm curious as to who received the apologies because I sure didn't get one.
 @sheytanta He was NOT sentenced to life in prison for the robbery of the sandwich shop, he was sentenced to life AFTER he was given two more chances to go straight. He made THREE mistakes (probably a lot more than three but three that resulted in court sentences against him) and it was because he didn't go straight after the first two that he was sentenced to life in prison.
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Yes, anyone can make a mistake but when a pattern of anti-social mistakes occur, as evidenced by the three felony convictions, it is time to take the miscreant out of society. Threats and warnings mean nothing if not followed through with real consequences.
@Furd Yes, I realize that when he told me to hand over the $ and pretended to have a weapon in his pocket that it was his third strike. The fact that he then walked across the street to the bar shows me that he was stupid, and not necessarily depraved. His other convictions were for robbery against relatives, also stupid but not necessarily a pattern of anti-social behavior. Have you seen some of the things drunk frat boys do that they never get busted for?  Let's save the life in prison for the serious crimes, such as child molestation or domestic violence.
And convicted felons of domestic violence are getting slaps on the wrist, still have parental rights to the children of the mothers they abused in front of those said children and are being released on "good time" due to prison over crowding. And they wonder why so many people are killed and children placed in harms way... Awesome justice system we have isn't it?
 @armywife One plus regarding those found guilty of domestic violence
is the can not acquire a CPL(concealed pistol license), or CWP( old nameÂ
meaning concealed weapon permit). In many cases those found guilty may
not even own a gun of any kind.
cant wait for the follow up article in 8 months.."Three time convicted felon shoots and kills women in attempted robbery"
you are familiar with the joke legal system of wa.
 @futhi151 And we wonder why criminals don't follow the law.
@Fantastico @futhi151 No incentive to do so.
"He has accepted responsibility for his actions, apologized to victims and participated in mental health and substance abuse programs in prison." Well I honestly hope that indeed this man has transformed his life, statistics show the opposite, but they are never fool proof. This is a name I hope we never read about in negative light again!
what the hell is the point of making these laws???
To make vicitms believe they dont need to be armed.
 @sultan1978 If you have already been convicted twice and still don't understand it's wrong, we "predict" that you to will keep doing this for a life time, interrupted by jail visits. It is costly to catch, try and convict over and over again. That's the intention of the law, but it does lead to absurd punishments.
 @sultan1978 Political posturing and acting tough on crime.  I don't believe in the blanket 3 strikes law.  It sends people to prison for minor offenses I would support a major crime 3 strikes law or some version but sending people to jail for life for minor drug offenses is just crazy and we have bigger criminals running the state and country we should be focusing our efforts on them.
 @APenny4MyThoughts  @sultan1978 Unlike some states such as california the washington three strikes law is for people who commit three *violent* felonies. If some guy get caught with meth alone it is not a strike. Doesn't help much if we let them go anyway.