The “Leigh Gwathney Effect”? Give Me a Break.

Unpopular opinion, but I’m not here for the Leigh Gwathney slander, like at all. The “Leigh Gwathney Effect” on Paroles? Give me a break.

I have some bias, I’ll say outright. You do too. I’m certain that Gwathney does too. It’s in our nature to have leanings one way or another, even if they’re unknown to us. My bias is based on a unique perspective. I’m one of many who can say they’ve worked with Gwathney as a prosecutor. Fewer can claim that prior to being a prosecutor, they worked as a public defender, and only a handful of folks can say that before all of that, they worked as a parole and probation officer. I have some knowledge of the person, some knowledge of the context, and some knowledge of the environment. I’ve advocated to keep folks out of prison, and I’ve drafted letters to see others paroled. But I’ve also argued certain people into/back into prison and made sure that they stayed there. Personally, I like to believe I can see both sides of the narrative. That’s why it irks me to see columnists whom I otherwise enjoy reading crafting these short-sighted, one-sided narratives with Leigh Gwathney as the major antagonist… Snow White’s Wicked Queen, Cinderella’s Evil Stepmother, Forrest Gump’s Jenny (IDC IDC IDC, Jenny was the bad guy).

If anybody truly knows Leigh, they know that Leigh is as empathetic as they come. They also know that she’s a fan of the underdog, as she’s played that role and overcome some of the major pivot points in her life. I dare say that given the current shaping of public opinion by a small number of folks with big thesauruses, Gwathney is once again assuming the underdog position. How dare I, right? The underdog is the parolee candidate who is denied parole. Maybe, sure, but life is nuanced.

It’s the understanding of nuance that enables an informed person to view the parolee as an underdog. There’s a common misconception among those not fully versed in Alabama’s legal system that there are explicit laws mandating parole under certain conditions. However, those with deeper knowledge recognize that the decision ultimately rests on the discretion of the parole board members., where codified guidelines used to determine parole are, in and of themselves, subjective, and still sit second chair to the individual board member’s discretion. Despite this, a person can…