Kim Kardashian Faces Backlash for Latest Support of Inmate Seeking Clemency
By Ryan Carroll
Kim Kardashian has become increasingly involved in criminal justice issues recently, between studying for the California Bar Exam and advocating on behalf of prisoners to overturn sentences. Generally, Kardashian’s legal pursuits have been well-received, especially in their efforts to combat mass incarceration. However, she encountered a far more mixed response this week when she announced her advocacy on behalf of death row inmate Kevin Cooper.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Kardashian has been lobbying California governor Gavin Newsom to order additional DNA testing for the case. Cooper, who was convicted in 1983 for the murder of Doug and Peggy Ryen, their daughter Jessica, and her 11-year-old friend Christopher Hughes, has maintained his innocence and argued that he was framed--but many have not been so eager to side with Cooper as Kardashian.
I had an emotional meeting with Kevin Cooper yesterday at San Quentin’s death row. I found him to be thoughtful and honest and I believe he is innocent of the crimes for which he was convicted. pic.twitter.com/FveajjjA5y
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 1, 2019
Mary Ann Hughes, the mother of Christopher Hughes, has been a particularly strong voice against Kardashian’s efforts.
“It makes me feel sick to my stomach and I pity her. For what she’s doing to us, there’s nothing to justify what she’s doing to us, the immense pain she is causing us,” Hughes said, adding that, “If she actually sat down and read the transcripts of all the trials and appeals, she would be sick to her stomach to be in the same room with him.”
Others have advocated more strongly on Kardashian’s behalf, such as New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who, according to USA Today, has advocated for Cooper in the past. On Twitter, Kristof extended a “Brava to @KimKardashian for meeting Kevin Cooper, a man on death row who [I] believe was framed for murder by the San Bernardino County sheriff's office.”
Kardashian has previously earned renown for earning clemency for nonviolent drug convictions, including, most famously, Alice Marie Johnson. This case, however, marks a foray into a far more incendiary and divisive conviction.
In any case, we’re curious to see how this case pans out. Depending on the result, it could be a massive shot in the arm for Kardashian’s legal career--or it could be a serious bump in the road.