In 1993, Clarence Aaron was sentenced to three life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole for, in principle, introducing two cocaine dealers. The churchgoing college student falsely maintained his innocence, while the other criminals involved agreed to testify against him. Despite it being Aaron's first offense, the career criminals all received much lighter sentences--all of the other men involved are now free after serving their time. The year after he was convicted, congress passed a non-retroactive safety valve for offenders like him. Aaron's case has attracted diverse attention, from PBS to Fox News (who urged President Bush to pardon him) to RealClearPolitics (who urged President Obama to pardon him). This drastic miscarriage of justice should not be allowed to stand.
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