Prosecutors Blast Murphy's Last-Minute Clemency Spree

County prosecutors across New Jersey are slamming Governor Phil Murphy’s final wave of clemency decisions, saying the outgoing governor granted pardons and commutations to convicted killers and political allies without consulting victims’ families or law enforcement.

Murphy issued 57 clemency actions in his final weeks in office — more than any New Jersey governor in decades — including commutations for at least eight people convicted of murder or manslaughter and pardons for several individuals with ties to Democratic politics.

The批评 came to a head at a meeting of the County Prosecutors Association, where district attorneys from across the state expressed frustration that Murphy’s office bypassed traditional consultation processes before granting the controversial clemencies.

“This administration completely ignored the voices of victims and their families,” said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer. “These decisions were made in a vacuum without input from the people who actually prosecuted these cases.”

Among the most controversial commutations was that of James Fairbanks, who was serving a life sentence for the 1995 murder of a Trenton convenience store clerk during a robbery. Fairbanks had served 29 years of his sentence when Murphy commuted it to time served.

Another commutation went to Maria Santos, convicted of manslaughter in the death of her infant daughter in Essex County in 2003. Santos had been serving a 15-year sentence and was released after Murphy reduced her time to 20 years, making her immediately eligible for parole.

Prosecutors also questioned pardons granted to several individuals with connections to New Jersey Democratic politics, including a former Passaic County Democratic committee member convicted of election fraud and a Camden contractor who pleaded guilty to bid-rigging on municipal projects.

“The pattern here suggests political considerations trumped public safety,” said Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll. “Governors have clemency power for good reason, but it should be used sparingly and with full consultation.”

Murphy’s clemency decisions stand in stark contrast to his predecessor Chris Christie, who granted just 21 pardons and commutations during his eight years in office. The last New Jersey governor to issue clemencies at Murphy’s pace was Brendan Byrne in the 1970s.

The controversy adds another complicated chapter to Murphy’s final months in office, as incoming Governor Mikie Sherrill prepares to take over following her historic landslide victory in November.

Murphy defended the clemency decisions in a statement, saying his administration conducted “thorough reviews” of each case and considered factors including rehabilitation, time served, and likelihood of reoffending.

“Every clemency decision was made after careful consideration of all relevant factors,” said Murphy spokesperson Jennifer Sciortino. “The governor used his constitutional authority to provide second chances to individuals who have demonstrated genuine rehabilitation.”

But prosecutors said they received little to no advance notice of the decisions, breaking with decades of precedent under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said his office learned about clemencies for three individuals his prosecutors had convicted only when the announcements were made public.

“We weren’t consulted, victims weren’t notified, and families found out by reading about it in the newspaper,” Musella said. “That’s not how this process is supposed to work.”

The clemency spree also drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, who noted the timing coincided with Murphy’s final push to fill state board positions before leaving office.

“This looks like a governor trying to settle political debts on his way out the door,” said Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio. “Some of these people committed serious crimes and deserved to serve their full sentences.”

Victims’ rights advocates said the lack of consultation violated the state’s Victims’ Rights Constitutional Amendment, which guarantees crime victims the right to be heard in clemency proceedings.

“Victims and their families have a constitutional right to be part of this process,” said Patricia Costello, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition for Victims’ Rights. “That right was completely ignored here.”

The clemency controversy is likely to influence how Sherrill’s incoming administration handles similar decisions, with the governor-elect’s team indicating they will reinstate more rigorous consultation procedures.

Sherrill’s transition team declined to comment specifically on Murphy’s clemencies but said the new administration would “prioritize transparency and victim involvement in all criminal justice decisions.”

Murphy’s clemency decisions cannot be reversed by the new governor, leaving prosecutors and victims’ families to live with outcomes they had no opportunity to influence.

The controversy underscores broader questions about executive clemency power in New Jersey and whether the process needs more formal oversight. Several legislators are already discussing bills that would require victim notification and prosecutorial consultation before clemencies can be granted.

“This episode shows we need guardrails,” said state Senator Declan O’Scanlon. “Clemency power exists for good reasons, but it shouldn’t be used to blindside the people who seek justice for victims.”

For now, county prosecutors say they’re reviewing their case files to identify any other Murphy clemencies that might have slipped past their notice, while victims’ families continue processing news they learned from media reports rather than official notification.