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August 29, 2008
Ron Berry, convicted sex offender, gets partial pardon
Topics: News Published
by
Delano Massey
on August 28, 2008
in Fayette Circuit Court
. Tags: 12 counts of sodomy, Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson, Ernie Fletcher, Gayle Slaughter, Gov. Steve Beshear, Jay Blanton, League of Women Voters, Micro-City Government, Northpoint Training Center, partial pardon, right to hold office, right to vote, Ron Berry, the NAACP, Trey Grayson, Urban County Government.
By Brandon Ortiz
bortiz@herald-leader.com
Gov. Steve Beshear has restored the right to vote and hold office to convicted child molester Ron Berry, the former head of the defunct Micro-City Government youth program.
The partial pardon, which was signed on Aug. 20 and filed Wednesday in Fayette Circuit Court, does not restore Berry’s right to own a gun or serve on a jury.
Berry, 64, was convicted of 12 counts of sodomy with 12- to 16-year-old boys in 2002. He completed a three-year prison sentence at Northpoint Training Center in 2005.
A Lexington lawyer who was instrumental in Berry’s downfall was flabbergasted by the news.
“I’m legitimately at a loss for words on this one,” said Gayle Slaughter, who represents several people who say they were sexually abused by Berry. “I guess it is good to know which side of the fence the governor is on in this battle against this scourge on society.”
Slaughter said she doesn’t mind allowing Berry the right to vote. “But I think allowing him to seek public office is a bit much,” she said.
In Kentucky, the governor must intervene for felons to have their civil rights restored.
A spokesman for Beshear said the governor, as a matter of policy, automatically approves the partial restoration of civil rights if applicants have served their sentence, paid restitution and have no outstanding warrants.
Having the right to vote automatically grants someone the right to run for office, spokesman Jay Blanton said.
Prosecutors can object to the partial pardon, and Beshear actually doubled the amount of time prosecutors have to review the cases, Blanton said. Prosecutors have objected in 56 instances, and in each case the governor refused to restore civil rights, Blanton said.
In Berry’s case, prosecutors did not object. He was prosecuted by Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson’s office.
Blanton said Berry’s application was forwarded to Larson in June.
Larson says he didn’t see it. If he had, he would have objected, he said.
“We object to people who kill people, and people who are sex offenders,” Larson said. “And I just obviously didn’t see it.”
He said it is too late for him to object now.
Larson did not have an explanation for why it did not reach his desk.
In March, Beshear, a Democrat, streamlined the process to make it easier for felons to have their rights restored. The move was praised by the League of Women Voters, the NAACP and some Republicans, including Secretary of State Trey Grayson, Blanton said.
The previous governor, Ernie Fletcher, did not automatically restore rights and required written essays.
Berry did not return a phone message seeking comment. Phone calls to a handful of his supporters were not returned.
Micro-City Government, which was founded by Berry in 1969, provided summer jobs and educational programs for disadvantaged youths, hosted dances and parties for the teens, and offered free lunches in impoverished neighborhoods. Berry led Micro-City until 1997, when allegations against Berry became public.
Micro-City was dissolved in 1998.
More than 160 people have sued the Urban County Government, claiming city officials ignored or concealed information that Berry was molesting under-age boys and girls for decades.
The lawsuits alleged that officials allowed the abuse to occur because Berry, once a prominent and powerful black leader, could deliver the black vote for them.
Slaughter said the partial pardon confirms what Berry’s critics have long said.
“Ron has friends in high places,” Slaughter said. “I guess Steve’s trying to get another vote.”
Replied Blanton, “I think that is a ridiculous assertion.”
“We apply the same standard for everyone,” he said. “It is irresponsible to make such a statement.”
Reach Brandon Ortiz at (859) 231-1443 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 1443.
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4 Responses to “Ron Berry, convicted sex offender, gets partial pardon”
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Does not surprise me just confirms what we alreay know. Gov will do anything to get a vote. We all know why Ronnie was allowed to be a child molester for so long He Brought The Votes from the african americans. And we all know the city glady paid out millions to his molested kids.
# 2 Erin M.
August 29, 2008 at 12:58 am
Why give this man any rights? He has not earned them by his actions. In my opinion he forfitted his rights for anything when he violated the rights of others. He only served 3 years?! Justice was truly not given to this man. Now he is free to start all over again, and steal more innocence from those who we are supposed to be protecting. Instead the Governor is protecting a CHILD MOLESTER! It has been proven many times that these people don’t get rehabilitated. He says that he applies the same rules to all of those who have served there time. Why? We don’t apply the same punishment to everyone who commits a crime. So he is saying that it is o.k. to pardon a CHILD MOLESTER the same as you would pardon a burgalar? Let’s just pray that the truth comes out to the public if this man ever decides to run for office.
# 3 jackglines
August 29, 2008 at 1:01 am
Geeeez Steve,
Obviously these children don’t matter to you. Is that because none of them were yours? Did you realize he was ca convicted chil dmolester? I guess this state will go from one extreme to the next in the name of “leadership”…WOW…this state is spooooooky! From now on whenever you do something stupid or immoral…we’ll just say you pulled a “Fletcher”!
# 4 Disgusted
August 29, 2008 at 1:41 am
Well he’s reached a new low! He has already hired a pardoned (before convicted) teamster operative who happens to be a half brother to one of the house leaders and who just happened to have been involved in alleged campaign finance violations for the benefit of a very forgiving Democratic governor. Made him a well paid labor liason.
He then fired the most ethical transportation engineer we have for many years over a non issue, as described by the administration.
Now he restores rights to a Democratic vote getter who has no respect for our most vunerable citizens most basic rights, our children. Berry was convicted of a crime that even disgusts the most hardened criminals. Must not disgust this governor though.
Posted by admin at August 29, 2008 9:20 AM
Comments
Unfreaking believable. Some one should ask this Govenor who is going to restore the rights of the boys that this sick individual revocked?? They dont get a second chance, their lives are marked forever with the nightmare of this man.
Posted by: Amanda at September 7, 2008 1:36 PM
