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Kasich reduces felony convictions
Williams-Bolar Felony convictions
reduced to misemeanors
September 8, 2011
COLUMBUS
– Today Governor John R.
Kasich announced that he has used his executive clemency authority to
reduce
the offenses of Kelley Williams-Bolar from two third-degree felonies to
two
first-degree misdemeanors.
Williams-Bolar was convicted in January, 2011,
of two counts of
tampering with records, felonies of the third degree, for falsifying
information so that she could send her children to Copley-Fairlawn City
Schools
instead of Akron Public Schools, the district in which she lived.
“When
I first heard about this
situation, it seemed to me that the penalty was excessive for the
offense. In
addition, the penalty could exclude her
from certain economic opportunities for the rest of her life. So, today I’ve reduced
those felony
convictions to what I think are the more appropriate, first degree
misdemeanors. No
one should interpret
this as a pass—it’s a second chance,” said Kasich.
Kasich’s
commutation specifies that
Williams-Bolar’s sentence is reduced to not more than 180 days in
jail—the
maximum penalty for a first-degree misdemeanor—and retains the Court’s
conditions that all but 10 days be suspended, as long as she complies
with the
Court’s original nine provisions:
·
Report to the Adult Probation Department, pay
a $20-per-month fee, and
abide by the department’s regulations;
·
Refrain from offensive conduct of every nature
and obey all laws;
·
Serve 10 days in the Summit County Jail, with
credit for one day
previously served;
·
Complete 80 hours community service;
·
Complete a mentorship through the NAACP or her
church and write the
Court a letter upon completion;
·
Maintain permanent full-time employment and/or
attend school;
·
Do not consume any illegal drugs or chemicals,
including any alcoholic
beverages;
·
Submit to random and frequent urinalysis
testing; and
·
Pay the costs of prosecution as directed by
the Adult Probation
Department.
See
companion story from the Columbus
Dispatch. Also in News.
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