By Michael Aron
Chief Political Correspondent
John Berry was 18-years-old when he was arrested for shoplifting on the Atlantic City boardwalk and sentenced to five years. He had a drug problem back then, but has since turned his life around. Governor Christie today pardoned him.
“When I hear stories like John’s, I think to myself and I know in my heart that there are so many people who can share in the same type of life-changing success, that same type of redemption, if only they had a little help along the way. Not only from us, but from God and know that there’s a way to get it. John’s story is the reason why I believe what I do, that no life is disposable,” Christie said.
This video of Christie talking about drug addiction as a disease has garnered more than 8 million views. He told Berry he knows it wasn’t easy being here today.
“But what I told him when we met was that I really thought that giving his story a broader stage, as uncomfortable as it might be for him a little bit personally, would be helping to touch even more lives than he’s touched already,” Christie said.
Berry is a case a manager in the Philadelphia drug court system. A married father of three, he has been clean for 28 years, he said. By signing a pardon, Christie has wiped his criminal record off the books.
“This is the first time I have ever met him, so I want that to be noted because the conversation that we just had, he just shared some things with me and I know some things from the press about him,” Barry said. “I really feel like the state of New Jersey is very fortunate to have a governor like Governor Christie because he’s very knowledgeable about the concept of the disease of addiction.”
Berry’s crime was 43 years ago. He served one year in juvenile prison and four on parole. Most Christie pardons have been for inadvertent violations of gun laws. This is only the second time he’s pardoned an ex-drug offender.
“And I’m just grateful to God that he thinks enough about me, and he has already forgiven me a long time ago for all the wrongs that I have committed and I had to learn to forgive myself. I’m so grateful that other folks have jumped on the bandwagon like the governor of the state of New Jersey and his staff and they have forgiven me today,” Barry said.
He put a nice punctuation on the press conference.
“Before I conclude I need to say three words and I want the world to hear these three words: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” Barry said.
Governor Christie doesn’t make public appearances at the Statehouse much anymore. When this one turned up on his schedule, the press corps got excited thinking it was a chance to have at him.
“Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Appreciate your coming. And John thank you for being part of this,” Christie said before leaving.
He left the press corps frustrated.