New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pre-emptively pardoned the killer son of his lawyer friend hours before a jury convicted him of killing an elderly man in a hit-and-run.
As part of his 97 pardons granted on Tuesday, the Democrat exonerated Harris Jacobs shortly before a jury found him guilty of fatally hitting Orlando Fraga, 76, with his car in September 2022.
Fraga was hit around 3.30am in Atlantic City by Jacobs, the son of prominent attorney and Atlantic City power broker Joe Jacobs, 66.
The convicted killer was seen in surveillance footage exiting his car, walking over to the victim in the middle of the road, and leaning over him two times, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
He then ran back to his car and sped away. Fraga was pronounced dead at the scene.
Instead of calling the police, Harris phoned his lawyer father 10 times, according to testimony reported by BreakingAC.
About seven hours later, he was arrested and charged with second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident. He was initially jailed, but later released pending his trial.
His first trial ended in a mistrial in May after the jury was unable to make a unanimous decision. This time they opted to convict – but Murphy’s pardon means there will be no justice for Fraga or his family.
Former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pardoned his friend Joe Jacobs’ son, Harris Jacobs, on the same day the 28-year-old was found guilty of killing Orlando Fraga, 76, in a hit-and-run. (Pictured: Murphy and Joe Jacobs)
Instead of calling the police, Harris phoned his lawyer father 10 times. He then walked over to Fraga’s body and looked at it in the middle of the street before fleeing the scene
Fraga was pronounced dead at the scene on September 4, 2022. Fraga leaves behind his son, grandchildren, three sisters, a brother, and countless other loved ones
Lou Barbone, Harris’s attorney, told the Daily Mail his client did all that he could to help Fraga that morning.
‘The accident was a tragic no escape impact in light of the pedestrian walking into the lane of travel at a construction site area,’ he said.
‘There was nothing Harris could do to avoid the accident.’
Barbone said Harris ‘checked his pulse, made sure a bystander was calling 911 and checked the victim again, realizing he had expired.’
It was in that moment that Harris suffered an ’emotional trigger,’ leading him to drive away from the scene.
According to Barbone, his client was informed by the state attorney that a pardon would be granted at 7:30 a.m. The pardon was officially issued at 8.30am by Murphy.
Barbone told the Daily Mail ‘we did not have it by the time the jury announced it had a verdict at 10am.’
Because the conviction came in, Harris’s legal team is working to vacate it ‘based on proof the pardon was granted prior to the jury’s verdict,’ Barbone added.
His first trial ended in a mistrial in May after the jury was unable to make a unanimous decision
The conviction would have carried a mandatory sentence of five to ten years behind bars.
Before Governor Mikie Sherrill was sworn in on Tuesday afternoon, Murphy granted 97 pardons and 51 commutations of prison sentences across the state.
Harris was 45th on Murphy’s list, according to BreakingAC.
Fraga was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, and was known to his loved ones as ‘Big Cuba,’ according to his obituary.
In 1980, he moved to the US because he ‘wanted to better his life’ and seek ‘new beginnings,’ it read.
Harris was Murphy’s 45th pardon that he granted on his final day in office. The conviction would have carried a sentence of five to ten years behind bars
He resided in Atlantic City for 37 years and enjoyed many hobbies, including fishing and watching sports.
Fraga leaves behind his son, grandchildren, three sisters, a brother, and countless other loved ones.
A funeral service was held for him on September 16, 2022, the obituary stated.
The Daily Mail contacted Murphy and Barbone for comment.
Murphy’s pardon of Jacobs echoes the actions of former President Joe Biden, who pre-emptively pardoned his two brothers, sister and COVID expert Dr Anthony Fauci during the final moments of his presidency.
