Daniel Perry sentencing might not matter as Gov. Abbott calls for pardon
AUSTIN, Texas - After Daniel Perry was found guilty of murder, a judge will be the one to sentence him. It is a sentencing that might not matter since the Gov. Abbott announced he wants to pardon Perry.
On April 7, Perry was found guilty for murdering Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster in 2020. It is a verdict Governor Greg Abbott does not accept.
"It's kind of a steal from the jury. The jury spent two weeks there reviewing evidence, listening to dozens of witnesses, and they spent 17 hours deliberating and coming to a decision," said Attorney Brad Vinson.
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Governor Abbott made his stance clear in a statement tweeted out less than 24 hours after the verdict. He said Texas has one of the strongest self-defense laws and that cannot be nullified by a jury or progressive district attorney. He called on the board of pardons and paroles to review Perry's case so he can approve it.
"Governor Abbott didn't see one minute of testimony. He hasn't reviewed a single piece of evidence admitted into the record. Governor Abbott's belief, Governor Abbott's personal belief that the jury's verdict was incorrect is based solely on his views of media reports," said Rick Cofer, criminal defense lawyer.
Abbott requests parole board look into potential pardon for Daniel Perry
Less than 24 hours after a jury found Army Sgt Daniel Perry guilty of murder in the 2020 death of Black Lives Matter protestor Garrett Foster, Gov. Greg Abbott says he has requested the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to look into the conviction and determine if he should be granted a pardon.
Another point mentioned in the Governor’s tweet was his priority to rein in rogue district attorneys.
"This is not about me. This is really just another shot at our community here in Austin, Texas. Here in Travis County," said Jose Garza, Travis County District Attorney.
DA Garza says Governor Abbott's call for a pardon weakens the rule of law in the state of Texas and hurts public safety in Travis County. He plans to continue doing the job he was elected to do.
"The Travis County District Attorney's Office is going to continue to prosecute people who engage in acts of gun violence and if the governor wants to continue to pardon people who engage in acts of gun violence, that is certainly up to him," said DA Garza.
A sentencing date for Perry has not been set yet. He faces five to 99 years in prison.