Jelly Roll receives pardon from Tennessee governor for drug, robbery convictions – National

Tennessee governor pardons country singer Jelly Roll for his criminal history in the state on Thursday.

Governor Bill Lee pardoned Need a service singer for two robberies and drug crimes committed before 2010 in Davidson County.

Jelly Roll said the pardon would make it easier for him to travel around the world on concert tours and do Christian missionary work without filling out paperwork. He previously said that every time he traveled, it took “a team of lawyers and a mountain of paperwork to secure my entry” into countries such as Canada and the UK.

He was one of 33 people to receive a pardon on Thursday from Lee, who has been making clemency decisions in the run-up to Christmas for years.

Lee said Jelly Roll's application underwent the same rigorous review over several months as other applicants, and the state parole board made a non-binding, unanimous recommendation that he be pardoned. in Aprilafter a hearing that lasted about an hour and 45 minutes and included several witnesses, including Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, who defended the musician.

“His story is remarkable, it's a redemptive story, it's a powerful story, it's what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee told reporters.

Hall, a prison manager in Nashville, wrote that Jelly Roll woke up in one of the prisons he supervised.

“I think he has a chance and is in the process of rehabilitating a generation, and these are not just words,” Hall told the Associated Press on Thursday. “What I'm talking about is what I see we need in our country is people who take responsibility, accept the fact that they make mistakes and accept the fact that they need help.”

A pardon in Tennessee serves as a statement of forgiveness for a person who has already served a prison sentence. A pardon paves the way for the restoration of certain civil rights, such as the right to vote, although there are some legal restrictions and the governor can specify conditions.

Jelly Roll's most serious charges include robbery at age 17 and drug charges at age 23. In the first case, a female acquaintance helped Jelly Roll and two armed accomplices steal $350 from people in a home in 2002. Because the victims knew the woman, she and Jelly Roll were quickly arrested. Jelly Roll was unarmed and was sentenced to one year in jail plus probation.

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In 2008, police found marijuana and crack cocaine in his car, for which he was sentenced to eight years of supervision.

He also has two offenses for driving without a license and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The rapper-turned-singer, whose legal name is Jason Deford, has spoken about his redemption for years to various audiences, including people serving time in correctional centers, crowds at his concerts and even Congress.

Last year Somebody save me the singer gave powerful testimony before Congress about the fentanyl problem in the US, telling lawmakers he wants to be “part of the solution” to the opioid crisis.

“At every concert I perform, I witness the heartbreaking effects of fentanyl. I see fans struggling with this tragedy in the form of music…as they seek solace in music and hope that their experiences do not affect others,” he said at the time.

“These are the people I'm here to speak for, you. These people crave assurance that their elected officials actually care more about human life than ideology and party affiliation.”

— With files from The Associated Press

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