Gov. Maura Healey’s plan to pardon a man accused of several serious crimes more than four decades ago was delayed after members of the Governor’s Council expressed concern at the decision.
The governor’s plan to pardon William Veal, of Brockton, will have to wait until members of the body tasked with approving any pardon or clemency request decides whether they should hold a hearing on the matter.
“We will delay putting this recommendation forward for a vote,” the governor said Wednesday.
Veal was arrested and convicted for receiving stolen property in 1981, for assault and battery in 1983, and again in 1991 for a dozen counts of conspiracy to commit larceny, one count of conspiracy, and one count of larceny.
The state’s parole board, the first body that reviews a person’s eligibility for a pardon or clemency, did not recommend Veal for forgiveness of his crimes, despite his spending the last three decades attempting to turn his life around.
The parole board said that Veal “minimized his involvement in his crimes, provided excuses, and while not denying the convictions and the underlying facts thereof, did not fully take responsibility for his actions.”
Veal sought a pardon, according to his request, in order to work as a constable or process server and in order to become eligible for federal grant to support the non-profit organization he works with, including the Chills Diamond Ring Education Foundation, which he helped found.
Due to his work in the community, Veal’s pardon drew the support of the U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and State Sen. Liz Miranda, both of whom recommended the governor go around the parole board and allow the pardon.
“Mr. Veal has dedicated himself to mentoring young people and giving back to the community,” Pressley said late last month, when Healey announced her plan to pardon Veal and two others. “Through basketball leagues and service at Gallivan Community Center and the Mattapan Community Center, he has made meaningful contributions to the broader community. Restorative justice practices like Governor Healey’s use of the pardon are essential to repairing and rebuilding our communities impacted by incarceration, and Mr. Veal’s pardon will rightfully help set him, his loved ones, and our community writ-large on a pathway to healing.
“The pardon recommendation of Willie ‘Chill’ Veal is an example of how our Commonwealth can do the right thing for someone who’s exemplary leadership in community has supported at-risk youth in the City of Boston for over three decades,” Miranda said.
Healey, the first Bay State governor to issue pardons in her first year in office in over three decades, said when recommending the pardon that she was working to make the state’s criminal justice system “more fair and equitable.”
“I look forward to continuing our efforts to use the power of clemency as a tool to right the wrongs of the past and make our state stronger and safer,” she said.
Members of the Governor’s Council, ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, made clear they were unsure of whether to accept or reject the governor’s recommendation on Veal, noting it is unusual for the governor to be at odds with the parole board.
Councilor Paul DePalo on Tuesday said that “a little extra diligence is required on the council’s part to evaluate this one.” And during Wednesday’s council meeting, with Healey presiding, the matter was pushed out to a later date to give the Council time to consider a hearing.
Herald wire services contributed.