Governor Cooper Commutes Sentence and Issues Pardons of Forgiveness | Eastern North Carolina Now

RALEIGH: Governor Cooper today commuted the sentence of one person in a North Carolina prison and granted pardons of forgiveness to four others.

ENCNow
Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Governor Cooper today commuted the sentence of one person in a North Carolina prison and granted pardons of forgiveness to four others.

    The commutation and pardons follow an intensive review of cases, including the circumstances of the crimes, length of the sentences, records in prison, and readiness to reenter communities successfully after prison. The commutation follows a recommendation by the Juvenile Sentence Review Board, which the Governor established to review petitions from people sentenced to prison after crimes committed while they were under the age of 18.

    All of the clemency actions followed review by the Office of Executive Clemency, the Office of General Counsel and the Governor.

    "Ensuring careful review of cases while taking executive clemency action is a responsibility I take seriously," said Governor Cooper. "We carefully consider recommendations made by the Juvenile Sentence Review Board to commute sentences for crimes committed by minors. All of these individuals are deserving of clemency and we will continue to work to protect our communities and improve the fairness of our criminal justice system."

    The person whose sentence was commuted is:

  • Darnell Cherry, 42, who has served 26 years in prison for his involvement at age 16 in the murder and robbery of Robert Earl Edwards, Jr. and the robbery and shooting of Sonja Williams in Bertie County. The Juvenile Sentence Review Board recommended this commutation. While incarcerated, Mr. Cherry has been consistently employed and has participated in learning programs, including obtaining his G.E.D. and trade qualifications. His sentence was commuted to time served. Mr. Cherry's projected release date would have been in January 2035.

    The four people who received pardons of forgiveness are:

  • Portia Bright-Pittman, 38 who was convicted of accessory after the fact to armed robbery in Orange County in 2008. Ms. Bright-Pittman was 22 years old when the offense was committed. She has since worked in state government for many years.
  • W. Samuel Fagg, 43, who was convicted of possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine in Wake County in 2002. Dr. Fagg was 21 years old when the offense was committed. He has since obtained a master's degree and PhD and now conducts advanced scientific research related to regenerative medicine.
  • Tramayne Hinton, 42, who was convicted of robbery in Perquimans County in 1998. Mr. Hinton was 16 years old when the offense was committed. He has since completed high school and has worked in sales and marketing in addition to owning his own business.
  • Flemming Ragas, 45, who was convicted of breaking and entering, larceny, and possession of stolen goods in Lee and Cumberland counties in 1999. Mr. Ragas was 20 years old when the offenses were committed. Mr. Ragas served in the United States Army and National Guard, including two deployments to Iraq. For his service, Mr. Ragas received the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal.



    Contact: Jordan Monaghan

    Phone: (919) 814-2100  •      Email: govpress@nc.gov
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




Governor Offers Reward for Information on Guilford County Murder Press Releases: Elected office holders, Op-Ed & Politics, Bloodless Warfare: Politics Media Launches Attacks On Tesla In Apparent Bid To Damage Elon Musk


HbAD0

Latest Bloodless Warfare: Politics

"She’s trying to con the public like she did a good job at the border when, in fact, she has destroyed the very fabric of our Nation..."
Ohio Republican said the rhetoric coming from the political Left is "out of control."
Addressing tomorrow (Wednesday September 25) at 3:30 pm at 208 North Market Street, ground floor.
North Carolina Treasury Secretary Dale Folwell, and now, challenging for the seat of North Carolina's governor visits with Eastern North Carolina NOW's publisher, Stan Deatherage, to discuss the multiple jobs of the Secretary, his commitment to performance, and that lurking elected position hence.
Beaufort County Conservative Club meets today, Thursday September 19 at 6:00 PM at King Chicken Restaurant.
The Conservative Club meets Thursday September 19 at 6:00 PM at King Chicken Restaurant in Washington.
Any “bounce” that Vice President Kamala Harris may have gotten from last month’s Democratic National Convention (DNC) appears to have evaporated, according to the most recent New York Times/Siena poll out on Sunday.
ABC News released the rules on Wednesday that both Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris have agreed to ahead of next week’s debate.
Vice President Kamala Harris played a key role in the pressure campaign to keep Israel out of the Gazan city of Rafah months before an American hostage was found dead on Sunday.

HbAD1

Despite not holding any major interviews or press conferences since becoming the Democrats’ de facto nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris’ favorability rating has skyrocketed with the help of positive media coverage since President Joe Biden left the race on July 21.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump blasted the Kamala Harris campaign on Monday for pushing to change the rules for the upcoming ABC News debate, saying that Harris and her team are looking for a way to “get out” of the event.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump buried the hatchet with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) this week after the two have repeatedly clashed at various points over the last few years.
An Axios reporter rushed to the defense of Vice President Kamala Harris’ heavily criticized proposal to control grocery prices on Tuesday, but her article was hit by a community note on X that provided some important context.
President Joe Biden claimed during a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night that the Biden-Harris administration has overseen a booming economy and low inflation, but the data show that the U.S. economy and inflation are worse now than they were during the Trump administration.
"To blame grocery stores, which already run on extremely slim 1-3% profits, for price gouging is dangerous and inaccurate," said Kelly Lester, policy analyst for the Center for Food Power and Life.
An illegal alien accused of sexually assaulting and murdering an 11-year-old girl was freed into the interior of the United States by the Biden-Harris administration just months before allegedly committing the heinous crime, a new report from the House Judiciary Committee confirms.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, admitted that he cheated on his first wife with the couple’s babysitter after a report was published on Saturday that said the marriage ended after he got the babysitter pregnant.
A black Georgia activist became the center of attention at a rally for former president Donald Trump on Saturday when she riled the crowd in support of Trump and how his policies benefit black Americans.

HbAD2

 
Back to Top