On January 17, President Barack Obama granted clemency to William Ortiz, commuting his 50-year sentence for nonviolent, low-level drug offenses. Ortiz, represented by Hunton & Williams LLP, has served 26 years in prison and was scheduled to be released in August 2033. The presidential commutation reduced his sentence to 120 days, moving Ortiz’s release date to May 17 of this year. While incarcerated Ortiz sought to atone for his crimes by contributing to the prison community. He received his GED, tutored and mentored other inmates; spent seven years serving on a prison Suicide Watch Companion program; and led a committee to resolve and prevent disputes between inmates and prison staff.

Mark G. Weiss, who represented Ortiz and prepared the commutation petition, said, “I received the call from the Office of the Pardon Attorney on Tuesday (Jan. 17) and was able to personally inform Mr. Ortiz that afternoon. I was very proud and humbled to be able to share this life-changing news with my client.”

Weiss added that Ortiz received an extreme sentence for nonviolent crimes and truly deserves this commutation. “I’m very happy for my client and grateful to President Obama for granting his petition and establishing this program that has helped so many.”

The Clemency Project is a working group composed of lawyers and advocates, including Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the American Bar Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Hunton & Williams was one of the first law firms to join the Clemency Project, and more than 40 Hunton & Williams lawyers represented 30 clients through the Clemency Project.

Hunton & Williams continues to lead the way in community service in the United States, and the firm’s tradition of pro bono service is well recognized. During the firm’s last four fiscal years, 100 percent of the firm’s full-time US lawyers worked on pro bono projects. The firm maintains neighborhood offices in Richmond, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Atlanta solely dedicated to pro bono services for low-income individuals as well as a Pro Bono Fellows program.

About Hunton & Williams LLP

Hunton & Williams is a global law firm of more than 750 lawyers serving clients in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia. The firm handles transactional, litigation and regulatory matters for a diverse client base, with significant experience in retail and consumer products, energy, financial services, real estate, and privacy and cybersecurity. Visit www.hunton.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.