Cyntoia Brown,has been granted clemency by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, reports the Tennessean. She will be released from prison on August 7 of this year.
Brown, an alleged victim of childhood sex trafficking, had been serving a life sentence for the murder of a man who solicited sex from her when she was 16-years-old.
In a statement, Haslam said, “This decision comes after careful consideration of what is a tragic and complex case. Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life. Transformation should be accompanied by hope. So, I am commuting Ms. Brown’s sentence, subject to certain conditions.”
In a statement released by her lawyers, Brown thanked Haslam "for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me."
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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