San Francisco gives award to IRA leader Martin McGuinness - similar to 'Freedom of the City'.
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The award was given by San Francisco Mayor London Breed. The award mentions "Martins courageous service in the military" .
Here is London Breed;
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San Francisco Mayor London Breed Requests Brother's Early Release
Back in 2000, he pushed a young mother out of a car and into Golden Gate Bridge traffic. Napoleon Brown, 46, is now serving a 44-year term in Solano State Prison for manslaughter, robbery and other crimes tied to the death of Lenties White.
Both White’s family and legal experts question Breed’s letter, which was obtained by NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit.
Breed wrote to the governor as part of an official application in October that while she did not think the four-decade sentence against her brother was fair, “I make no excuses for him. His decisions, his actions led him to the place he finds himself now.”
She says her brother has been through addiction, parenting and other programs in state prison. Outside, she assured, he would have “strong” family support.
“I guarantee we can secure him access to a job, to a good home, to the counselling and services he and every other addict need for the rest of their lives.”
His freedom, she says, is “what’s best for both Napoleon and society overall.”
But Sandra McNeil, the mother of the 25-year-old victim, disagrees.
“I don’t think it would be justice,” she said. “She’s the mayor, so she’s got a little power, so she thinks she can get her brother out.’’
Veteran prosecutor turned defense attorney, Chuck Smith, said the mayor’s letter raises all sorts of ethical questions.
“The timing of it is troublesome,” Smith said. “She could have written this letter six months ago, when she wasn’t mayor -- and she didn’t. The governor obviously is leaving office soon.”
In writing the governor, Breed left out that just last year, according to court records, her brother was caught with heroin in prison. As a result, he had another two years tacked onto the sentence he was already serving for manslaughter, robbery and other crimes.
Brown had a prior robbery on his record when he was originally convicted of murder and robbery and sentenced to 44 years in prison back in 2005. While the murder verdict was overturned by a judge for technical reasons, Brown ultimately agreed to plead to involuntary manslaughter. He was eventually resentenced to 42 years.