Doors' Jim Morrison granted posthumous pardon

[News_Editor]

Doors' Jim Morrison granted posthumous pardon

2010-12-10 07:28:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

MIAMI, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- Doors late singer Jim Morrison on Thursday was granted a posthumous pardon By Florida’s board of clemency in relation to his conviction of indecent exposure during a 1969 Miami concert.

The board of clemency voted unanimously at the recommendation of Florida Governor Charlie Crist. However, Angel Lago, a former Miami police officer, objected the decision as he claimed that it would send the wrong message to the youth population.

Morrison was arrested following a football game at Florida State University on September 28, 1963. He was accused of lewd and lascivious behavior, drunkenness, profanity and indecent exposure during a concert at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami in 1969.

He was convicted in 1970 of indecent exposure and open profanity and cleared of the other two charges. He was sentenced to six months in prison and appealed the case. However, the rock legend died two years later in Paris as the appeal was ongoing.

Crist decided to look into the case and pursued the pardon as he was not convinced that Morrison did what he was accused of. Whether Morrison exposed himself during the concert has been debated and speculated for years.

There are many photographs of such concert but no one showed Morrison exposing himself as alleged. There is no video or other tangible evidence but the declaration of about a dozen of eye-witnesses.

"Much controversy surrounds this conviction, and not only because many witnesses testified they did not see Morrison expose himself," said the Florida governor. "A case was brought against him only after newspaper articles recounted the alleged events at the concert, based on a complaint filed by an employee of the state attorney’s office."

Morrison was not arrested until four days after the show. During trial much more witnesses testified that the legendary singer did not saw him doing the alleged acts during the entire concert.

"His death prevented him from exercising his right to a direct appeal, a right given to every American by the United States Constitution. Because he is unable to state his case for clemency before this board today, I offer to do so for him," Crist told the board.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-12-10

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