Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe Pardons Own Son Kyle Beebe For 2003 Drug Conviction

Mike Beebe, the Governor of Arkansas, has in a controversial decision announced his plans to pardon his own son for a felony crime for which he was convicted over a decade ago. According to ABC News, Mike Beebe’s son, Kyle Beebe, was convicted in 2003 after he was found to be in possession of marijuana. He was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and fines. Mike Beebe was serving as the Arkansas attorney general during 2003, reports ABC affiliate KATV.

The decision to pardon Kyle Beebe came after Kyle wrote a pardon application letter addressed to the Governor, who also happens to be his father.

In the letter, Kyle Beeb pleads his case.

“Mr. Governor, I am asking for a second chance at life. I am asking for a second chance to be the man that I know that I can be. At the time of my arrest I was living in a fantasy world, not reality. I was young and dumb. At that time in my life I felt like I was missing something and I tried to fill that emptiness by selling drugs. I am asking for a second chance to be a better son to my parents and prove to them that I am the person they raised me to be.”

In an interview to KATV, Governor Beebe announced that he would have pardoned Kyle a long time ago — but didn’t do so because Kyle never asked him to.

“I would have done it a long time ago if he’d have asked, but he took his sweet time about asking. He was embarrassed. He’s still embarrassed and, frankly, I was embarrassed and his mother was embarrassed. All of the families that go through that. It’s tough on the families, but hopefully the kids learn.”

Kyle Beeb was 23 at the time of his conviction, and according to his father, did some “stupid stuff” when he was younger. Junior Beeb is 34-years-old now and regrets what he had done a decade ago. Mike Beeb added that every young person out there needs to be given a chance to “straighten up” and get their lives back on track, and that it is no different in the case of his son.

Following the acceptance of the pardon application, Kyle Beeb’s application was reviewed by the Arkansas Parole Board who on October 20, recommended Kyle Beebe for pardon. An Arkansas Parole Board official told KATV that Kyle Beeb did not receive any special treatment from the board even though he was know to be the Governor’s son. They have also posted a statement here.

“I can tell you that [Kyle] Beebe did not receive any special treatment by the board while his application was under consideration,” the spokesperson said.

Kyle Beebe is one among the 700 people that Mike Beeb has pardoned ever since he took office in 2007.

[Image Via AP /Danny Johnston]