Charlie Crist now reduced to pardoning long-dead rock stars

“It comes down to wanting to do what I think is probably the right thing here, and that simply is to extend some forgiveness,” Crist said. “After being briefed and reading more on it, more and more about the case, about the trial, about the fact that it was on appeal when he died and never got to have that chance for an appeal. … It just brought me to the conclusion that we ought to pursue this pardon on his behalf.”…

The governor was on the receiving end of a flood of worldwide media attention — which he called “a little surprising” — after The Hill’s article two weeks ago. But he said he approached the case carefully, reviewing trial transcripts, interviews with other Doors members, and even comments by a spouse of one of the prosecutors in the case. Like many Morrison defenders have claimed for years, Crist said he found no conclusive audio, video or photographic proof of Morrison’s guilt.

“There’s just no actual, direct evidence,” Crist said. “And it was really a combination of all of things. Here was a very young person, in their late 20s, not old by any measure, and I just realized there may or may not have been any act taken here.