Brown commutes juvenile sentences of more than 70 offenders

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Gov. Kate Brown has commuted the sentences of more than 70 people convicted of felonies while juveniles, but the action doesn’t mean they are about to be released. The governor’s commutations grant some adults in custody who committed serious crimes as juveniles the opportunity to appear before a state board to argue for their release after 15 years in prison. The list includes people convicted between 1988 and 2019 for crimes such as murder, assault, rape and manslaughter while juveniles. A 2019 bill made changes to the mandatory minimum sentences for minors sentenced on or after Jan. 1, 2020.