Williams-Bolar talks with Attorney David Singleton
This has to be one of the most courageous things a sitting governor could do for the woman accused and convicted of lying to give her children a better education. Today, Ohio Governor John Kasich agreed that the sentence given to Kelley Williams-Bolar for lying and other charges didn’t fit the crime and thus issued a clemency, which turns her felony conviction into first-degree misdemeanors.
Last week, HHE published a story entitled, “How Far Would You Go To Get Your Child A Quality Education”, which was well received by our readers. Apparently, the Ohio Governor had similar sentiments as he stated in a recent interview, “”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.”
Governor Kasich was clear to point out that no one should interpret his decision to mean that her actions were justified, but he did say she just deserved a second chance. Before making his decision, the governor requested that the Ohio Parole Board review the case and make their own independent recommendation and after a few days the board members all made a unanimous decision to deny her clemency. Luckily for Bolar, the Governor ignored their recommendation and granted her clemency with conditions. She must complete 80 hours of community service, maintain a full time job, and not do drugs or consume alcohol.
Although we are not sure why there was any mention of drug and alcohol use in his ruling, we are glad the Governor was willing to not only assess this situation with his head but also with his heart. More legislators should do this.
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