Alexander Shalom, partner and Chair of the Lowenstein for the Public Interest, collaborated with the ACLU-NJ on the successful petition for clemency on behalf of Sammy Moore, an individual convicted of a serious crime while he was 19 years old but who demonstrated remarkable rehabilitation over the course of his decades-long incarceration.
Moore was included in New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s fourth round of clemency actions as part of a historic initiative granting life-changing opportunities to individuals involved in the justice system. Governor Murphy exercised his executive authority, granting 19 commutations and 29 pardons, bringing the cumulative total to 217 grants of clemency over the past 16 months.
In a statement, Murphy announced: “With this fourth round of clemency actions, we uphold one of our nation’s oldest and most fundamental principles: justice for all… Together, we are creating opportunities for those who have made mistakes in the past to heal, and ultimately, contribute to our shared future.”
As a young man, Moore was convicted of murder and attempted murder, and was sentenced to an aggregate term of life imprisonment, with a minimum of 40 years of parole ineligibility.
When he entered prison, Moore was functionally illiterate. He worked hard and learned to read; he then became a reading tutor and taught many other people how to read. He earned his GED, an associate degree, and then a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University, summa cum laude; he also enrolled in a master's degree program through Drew University. Moore is an accomplished paralegal and a regular preacher at church services.
Shalom says: “Despite more than three decades of incarceration, Sammy remains among the most affable, giving people around. His nickname in prison, bestowed without irony, was ‘Smiley.’”
He continues: “Sammy was able to demonstrate to Governor Murphy and the Clemency Advisory Board both his deep contrition and his remarkable transformation. The immature, impetuous, illiterate 19-year-old kid who entered prison more than three decades ago bears no resemblance to the thoughtful, kind, accomplished 51-year-old man to whom Governor Murphy provided a well-deserved second chance.”
Lowenstein has been involved for years in nationwide efforts—frequently in collaboration with the ACLU—to ensure fair reconsideration of long prison sentences imposed on those convicted as children. Recognizing that young people are developmentally and neurologically different from adults in ways that make them categorically less culpable, the firm has worked to expand opportunities for clients convicted when they were young to reduce their sentences and reenter society.
Moore will be released from prison on November 13 and will begin a five-year period of parole supervision.
About the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest
From its founding, Lowenstein Sandler has been committed to advancing the public interest and serving communities in need. The Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest embodies this commitment, directing the firm’s strong pro bono program and other forms of civic and philanthropic engagement. Through these efforts, the center addresses significant social problems and offers meaningful assistance to low-income and other marginalized people, along with the organizations that advocate for and support them. This work engages the full range of the firm’s talents and reflects the core values that imbue all of the firm’s efforts: to perform work of the highest quality in a manner that maximizes results for our clients and causes.
About Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP is a national law firm with more than 375 lawyers working across five offices in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents clients in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular strength in technology, life sciences, and investment funds. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.
