Friday, December 10, 2021

The Long Way Home

By Michael Caruso

If you were a criminal defense lawyer in our district in the early 2000s, you undoubtedly had a client incarcerated at FCI Tallahassee. And if you did, your client certainly knew Katina Smith, who befriended many other women who were serving time there.  Ms. Smith's son—former NFL receiver Demaryius Thomas—passed away yesterday due to a medical issue stemming from a car accident. 

When I heard of his passing, I first thought of a client who was very close to Ms. Smith at FCI Tallahassee. I then recalled this fantastic piece of journalistic storytelling about Ms. Smith and her son.  The story reveals much about their family and our federal criminal legal system.

A little more than a year after the publication of this story, President Obama commuted Ms. Smith's 24-year sentence, and Ms. Smith finally got to see Demaryius play football—in the Super Bowl. 

This is not, however, a story about football but of a family's devastation, struggle, and perseverance. And because of President Obama's commutation, Ms. Smith and Demaryius were reunited and able to be a family again.

According to the Department of Justice, nearly 18,000 clemency petitions are currently pending. As December is traditionally the month in which Presidents issue pardons and commutations, here's hoping that President Biden uses his powers wisely and other families are reunited.






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