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Friday, Feb 21, 2025
Outside the box.
Leonard Peltier Released from Prison After Nearly 49 Years
Native American activist Leonard Peltier, convicted in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents, is commuted to home confinement following a decision by President Biden.
Leonard Peltier, a long-standing Native American activist, has been released from federal prison after nearly 49 years.
This decision follows a commutation of his sentence by President Joe Biden, who took office in January 2021 and announced the commutation towards the end of his presidency.
Peltier, who is now 80 years old and in declining health, expressed his gratitude in a statement, declaring, "I am finally free!" He thanked supporters worldwide who advocated for his release and emphasized his anticipation of reuniting with friends, family, and his community.
The National Congress of American Indians hailed the commutation as a "historic" moment and indicated that Peltier's case has often been a symbol of the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in the United States.
Peltier was convicted in relation to a 1975 incident on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which involved a deadly shootout between FBI agents and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM).
During the confrontation, agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were killed, as was Joseph Stuntz, a Native American man involved in the altercation.
Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, was indicted along with several others.
He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Peltier's defense has long argued that he did not fire the fatal shots, asserting that evidence was withheld during the trial and that witness testimonies were coerced.
A witness who initially implicated Peltier in the shootings later recanted her statements.
His supporters have included prominent figures such as Nelson Mandela and Pope Francis, as well as James H. Reynolds, the former US attorney who handled the prosecution and appeal of Peltier’s case.
Reynolds has frequently called for Peltier's release, describing his prosecution as a reflection of systemic flaws in the justice system.
In a letter to President Biden in 2021, Reynolds criticized the ongoing incarceration of Peltier, stating that it echoed a past judicial approach that is incompatible with contemporary standards of justice.
Despite Peltier's release, it should be noted that while his sentence has been commuted, he has not been pardoned for his underlying convictions.
This means he will spend the remainder of his life in home confinement rather than prison.
Peltier had recently been denied parole and would not have been eligible for consideration again until 2026.
The commutation faced opposition from some, including former FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In correspondence obtained by the Associated Press, Wray labeled Peltier a "remorseless killer" and asserted that providing clemency would be "wholly unjustified" and contrary to the rule of law.
Peltier's case continues to illustrate the complicated intersections of justice, race, and history in the United States.
This decision follows a commutation of his sentence by President Joe Biden, who took office in January 2021 and announced the commutation towards the end of his presidency.
Peltier, who is now 80 years old and in declining health, expressed his gratitude in a statement, declaring, "I am finally free!" He thanked supporters worldwide who advocated for his release and emphasized his anticipation of reuniting with friends, family, and his community.
The National Congress of American Indians hailed the commutation as a "historic" moment and indicated that Peltier's case has often been a symbol of the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in the United States.
Peltier was convicted in relation to a 1975 incident on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which involved a deadly shootout between FBI agents and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM).
During the confrontation, agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were killed, as was Joseph Stuntz, a Native American man involved in the altercation.
Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, was indicted along with several others.
He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Peltier's defense has long argued that he did not fire the fatal shots, asserting that evidence was withheld during the trial and that witness testimonies were coerced.
A witness who initially implicated Peltier in the shootings later recanted her statements.
His supporters have included prominent figures such as Nelson Mandela and Pope Francis, as well as James H. Reynolds, the former US attorney who handled the prosecution and appeal of Peltier’s case.
Reynolds has frequently called for Peltier's release, describing his prosecution as a reflection of systemic flaws in the justice system.
In a letter to President Biden in 2021, Reynolds criticized the ongoing incarceration of Peltier, stating that it echoed a past judicial approach that is incompatible with contemporary standards of justice.
Despite Peltier's release, it should be noted that while his sentence has been commuted, he has not been pardoned for his underlying convictions.
This means he will spend the remainder of his life in home confinement rather than prison.
Peltier had recently been denied parole and would not have been eligible for consideration again until 2026.
The commutation faced opposition from some, including former FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In correspondence obtained by the Associated Press, Wray labeled Peltier a "remorseless killer" and asserted that providing clemency would be "wholly unjustified" and contrary to the rule of law.
Peltier's case continues to illustrate the complicated intersections of justice, race, and history in the United States.
