In an uncommon demonstration of mercy, Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet agreed Wednesday to reduce the sentences of two men in prison, including one who had faced a life sentence for his role in a grisly murder in Pensacola more than a decade ago.
Since being elected in 2010, Scott, in his role on the state clemency board, had only agreed to commute one sentence before Wednesday. By comparison, former governors Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush reduced sentences 13 times and 22 times, respectively, according to Reggie Garcia, a Tallahassee attorney who has handled clemency cases in Florida for more than 20 years.
