In June of 1998, two weeks after I found out that I was pregnant, my husband, Cedric Pierce, was arrested and ultimately sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. Although Cedric only has 2 cases, he was struck out under the California three strikes law. Background: Cedric was born to his 16 years old parents in Shreveport, Louisiana. As an infant, his young parents drove him across country to live in San Jose, California. Cedric’s father was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He severely abused Cedric both mentally and physically. His mother taught him about unconditional love and his father taught him about pain, anger, drugs and crime. While Cedric takes full responsibility for his actions that resulted in his incarceration, I think it’s important to share what led him down this path. First Case: In January 1994, at the age of 19, on a whim and drunk, Cedric and two other men robbed a bank. He did have a gun with him but thankfully did not use it and nobody was harmed. Cedric pled guilty. At his sentencing hearing, the Judge made sure Cedric was aware of what he was pleading to. The Judge stated: “If you get arrested and convicted of another serious felony in the future, under the law as it exists today, the judge sends you to prison ... whatever term he picks would have to be doubled. And then he would add five years to that conviction. And if you get another felony after that, no matter what the felony is – it could be a petty theft and a prior or an auto burglary – you’d be looking at an indeterminate life sentence.” Cedric was asked if he understood what he was agreeing to and he replied, “Yes, I do.” He served 4.5 years in prison. Upon release, he had to move into his father's house. His mother, who had since been diagnosed with cancer moved to Arizona. Cedric was on parole and therefore not allowed to leave the state of California to live with his mother. He was struggling to find a job, had no money and desperately wanted to move out of his father’s home. At this time, Cedric and I also found out that I was pregnant. Without ever being taught how to properly deal with the stresses of life, he turned to robbery again. Second Case: In June of 1998, after robbing two men in a park of a few hundred dollars and a cell phone, Cedric and his cousin were arrested and charged with two counts of 2nd degree robbery. Again, he had a gun with him but did not use it. This was Cedric’s second case. Although the Judge in his first case told him that if he was convicted of another felony in the future that his sentence would be doubled plus five years, Cedric was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. He should have been punished for his involvement in the robbery; however, a life sentence is excessive. Currently: Cedric is now 41 years old and just passed his 18th year in prison for this case but, he hasn't given up on life. He spends his time working, reading, writing, mentoring, speaking, taking college courses, securing certifications and exercising. We now have 4 kids and they have never seen their father outside of the visitation room; however, they love spending time with him. In fact, we have visited Cedric almost 250 times. During our visits, he reminds the kids of the importance of making the right choices in life and reminds them that bad choices have consequences and could very well mean giving up their freedom. He also encourages them to do well in school, respect others, and take responsibility for their actions. The death of Cedric's beloved mother in 2005, remains very difficult for him. Recently, he was told that his father has stage 4 cancer. Although his father destroyed his childhood and failed to properly guide him into manhood, he wrote a letter to his father and forgave him. Cedric explained to me, “How can I ask others to forgive me of what I’ve done in the past and not forgive him? If I want forgiveness, I must forgive.” If he is released, he has a loving home with his wife and children to come home to. He also has a job waiting for him. Cedric's sister (whom he is very close to) lives only 15 minutes from us. He has many family members and loved ones who will provide him with additional emotional support. For years, Cedric has talked about wanting to become a motivational speaker and mentor youth, who are at the same crossroad in life, that he was at when he choose the wrong path. Cedric would be a great speaker who can relate to these teens and motivate them to take the right path instead. If given the opportunity, he has much to offer to society and his family. Please sign this petition asking Governor Jerry Brown to grant my husband’s petition for clemency. We are asking Governor Brown to release Cedric with time served.