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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Two houses burning in east Medford 10 things to know for Friday Emergency services App Finder: Top apps for crafters Since You Asked: Are there plans to ease congestion at exit 27? Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services State will investigate ticket dismissals Alleged rapist said to have stalked victim after crimes Details sought about RV fire outside Gold Hill Woman sentenced in stabbing case Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. 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Mangino: Crime, intrigue and politics in Pennsylvania Voter bill secures a fundamental right Feb. 20: Letters to the editor 'Big' government is not so big after all Antionette Kerr: Let’s honor Anthony and the rights of all women Editorials Voter bill secures a fundamental right Our view: Will Brown reach out to rural Oregon? Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Our View: A sad end to a historic career Letters to the Editor Feb. 20: Letters to the editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 17 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 16 Columns 'Big' government is not so big after all Kent Bush: Mars One is more reality television than rocket launch Male staffers take lead in Clinton run Congress rightly should engage in war debate Islamic State's atrocities demand ... what? 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Get Up & Go: Friday, Feb. 20 ... Odd bugs, cool birds highlight outdoor show ... State Senate votes to dissolve Cover Oregon ... Get Up & Go: Friday, Feb. 20 ... Odd bugs, cool birds highlight outdoor show ... EARLY RELEASE Outgoing Gov. Kitzhaber commutes sentence DA says he supports the clemency for Sang Dao Comment By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Feb. 18, 2015 @ 5:51 pm Updated Feb 18, 2015 at 5:52 PM By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Feb. 18, 2015 @ 5:51 pm Updated Feb 18, 2015 at 5:52 PM » Social News SALEM — As one of his final acts in office, Oregon's outgoing governor, John Kitzhaber, commuted the prison sentence of a young inmate convicted of attempted murder. Sang Dao, 25, sentenced to more than 12 years in prison, will be released next month, at least three years early. It's not clear why Kitzhaber granted him clemency. The commutation document, obtained by The Associated Press, didn't state a reason, and the former governor didn't reply to an email seeking comment. But Kitzhaber's fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, who's at the center of an ethics scandal that prompted him to leave office, spoke at a ceremony last summer when Dao graduated from college while locked in a correctional facility. Hayes faces allegations that she used her relationship to land work for her consulting firm. Kitzhaber has denied wrongdoing on both their parts. Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill, whose office prosecuted Dao, supported the clemency, noting that Dao was committed to education and that he took responsibility for his crime. Underhill wrote in a letter to Kitzhaber that Dao has taken "exceptional steps" to "improve himself and make amends to our community since his incarceration." The commutation was signed Tuesday, a day before Kitzhaber handed power to his successor, Kate Brown. Brown signed the document in her former role as secretary of state. Dao will leave prison March 17. Department of Corrections records show his earliest possible release date had been in November 2018. In addition to attempted murder, he was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon and assault. In earning his degree while at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, however, Dao "took advantage of all the benefits and the programs that we offered, and he made the most of them," spokesman C.J. Drake said. "His conduct and his reformation while he was with us was exemplary," Drake said. Hayes, speaking at the ceremony, told the Portland State University graduates "education is something no one can take from you," according to the Woodburn Independent. Dao was transferred in November to a state prison in Salem when he aged out of the youth correctional system. He will leave prison more than seven years into his sentence. Kitzhaber's clemency requires that he complete three years of probation after his release. The conviction will remain on Dao's record. Dao's lawyer did not return a call seeking comment. By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. 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