Who pardoned Merle Haggard?
Merle Haggard had not had an easy life, especially during his childhood days. His troubles started when he lost his father at a tender age. One could say his death had affected him a great deal.
After the loss of his father, Merle Haggard had spent a great deal of time in and out a juvenile detention center. He was caught shoplifting and accused of arm robbery as well.
Merle Haggard changed after Lefty Frizzell heard him sing backstage, there and then Merle Haggard decided to pursue singing. It was a huge turnover for him and was enjoying a good life. Some few years down the line, Merle Haggard’s situation got worse when he was married and has less income.
Merle Haggard tried to rob a Bakersfield roadhouse in 1957 but was caught and arrested. He was convicted and sent to the Bakersfield Jail but after an escape attempt, he was transferred to San Quentin Prison on February 21, 1958.
Merle Haggard was released from San Quentin on parole in 1960 after Haggard had become an established country music star in 1972. The then-California governor Ronald Reagan granted Haggard a full and unconditional pardon for his past crimes.
