Story Updated: Jun 12, 2009http://www.komonews.com
By Keith Eldridge
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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Let's let bygones be bygones.
That's the proposal of a Cambodian refugee looking for a pardon from the governor. And the state Clemency and Pardons Board agrees.
Former gang member-turned-civic leader Mnny Uch needs the pardon for a past crime to avoid being deported.
On Thursday Uch appealed to the state Clemency and Pardons Board, hoping Gov. Chris Gregoire will step in on his behalf and stop the federal government from sending him back to Cambodia.
"I'm confident going into this that I've done my best for the past 10 years. So give me a chance," he said.
As a child in the early 1980s, Uch fled the killing fields of Cambodia with his family. During his years in the U.S., he drove a getaway car during a robbery and served time.
Since then, he's turned his life around. He is now a city community leader who counsels young people to stay out of trouble.
Uch's story has even been profiled in an Emmy-nominated documentary titled "Sentenced Home." He has helped write success stories like that of Johnny Cheng, whom he counseled.
"It wasn't anything in particular that he really said to me. It's more of what I saw him doing," Cheng said.
But because of his earlier crime he could be deported under the federal immigration laws. That threat has been hanging over Uch's head for years.
On Thursday, Uch's supporters gathered on the steps of the state Capitol as he appealed to the board. Among the crowd was University of Washington Drama Professor Mark Jenkins, who wants to turn Uch's story into a stage production.
"This whole immigration law seems to be an awfully heavy sledgehammer that's causing personal tragedy more than it's protecting America," Jenkins said.
The Clemency and Pardons Board voted unanimously to recommend a pardon for Uch. But their vote is simply a recommendation to the governor.
The Governor's Office said Gregoire will consider the recommendation and make a final decision.
It's not known when the governor's decision will come. And while Uch waits, immigration could send him back to Cambodia at any moment. And he is not alone. Some 1,500 Cambodians are facing the threat of deportation nationwide.
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Let's let bygones be bygones.
That's the proposal of a Cambodian refugee looking for a pardon from the governor. And the state Clemency and Pardons Board agrees.
Former gang member-turned-civic leader Mnny Uch needs the pardon for a past crime to avoid being deported.
On Thursday Uch appealed to the state Clemency and Pardons Board, hoping Gov. Chris Gregoire will step in on his behalf and stop the federal government from sending him back to Cambodia.
"I'm confident going into this that I've done my best for the past 10 years. So give me a chance," he said.
As a child in the early 1980s, Uch fled the killing fields of Cambodia with his family. During his years in the U.S., he drove a getaway car during a robbery and served time.
Since then, he's turned his life around. He is now a city community leader who counsels young people to stay out of trouble.
Uch's story has even been profiled in an Emmy-nominated documentary titled "Sentenced Home." He has helped write success stories like that of Johnny Cheng, whom he counseled.
"It wasn't anything in particular that he really said to me. It's more of what I saw him doing," Cheng said.
But because of his earlier crime he could be deported under the federal immigration laws. That threat has been hanging over Uch's head for years.
On Thursday, Uch's supporters gathered on the steps of the state Capitol as he appealed to the board. Among the crowd was University of Washington Drama Professor Mark Jenkins, who wants to turn Uch's story into a stage production.
"This whole immigration law seems to be an awfully heavy sledgehammer that's causing personal tragedy more than it's protecting America," Jenkins said.
The Clemency and Pardons Board voted unanimously to recommend a pardon for Uch. But their vote is simply a recommendation to the governor.
The Governor's Office said Gregoire will consider the recommendation and make a final decision.
It's not known when the governor's decision will come. And while Uch waits, immigration could send him back to Cambodia at any moment. And he is not alone. Some 1,500 Cambodians are facing the threat of deportation nationwide.
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