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Obama Commutes Sentences For Pittsburgh Man, 5 Other Pennsylvanians

PHILADELPHIA (KDKA/AP) - President Barack Obama is commuting the sentences of six non-violent drug offenders in Pennsylvania.

They are among 95 offenders whose sentence commutations were announced by Obama on Friday. Many were convicted of distributing or possessing cocaine or crack-cocaine. The commutations are the most that Obama has issued at one time.

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The six men from Pennsylvania include two who had been sentenced to life in prison: Thomas Daniels, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to life in 1996 for crack cocaine distribution; and David Padilla, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to life in 1997 for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Daniels' sentence expires Friday; Padilla's will expire in April.

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The others were Felix Roman, Jr., of Reading; Kenneth Hamlin, Jr., of Pittsburgh, Alberto Gonzalez and Pedro Figueroa, both of Philadelphia.

The judge who originally sentenced Hamlin back in 1999 said at the time that if he could give him a lesser sentence, he would, but the guidelines simply wouldn't allow it. In essence, what President Obama did Friday was give Hamlin a lesser sentence.

Hamlin, of Clairton, has been behind bars for 17 years. He was convicted in 1999 on drug-related charges and given a 30-year sentence. Friday, 50-year-old Hamlin was one of more than 90 people to receive a pardon from President Obama. His attorney called with the good news: Hamlin is coming home.

"And I answered the phone, and he was kinda talking a little bit slowly, and I was thinking, 'oh goodness, this is going to be bad news,' and then he said, 'I have a Christmas gift for you,'" said Hamlin's uncle James Long. "And he started crying, and I started crying a little bit."

What set Hamlin's case apart from so many others that go before the President were a number of factors. Most importantly, changes in federal minimum sentencing guidelines then and now.

"Speaking with his lawyer, he was an ideal candidate for the pardon, but you don't want to get overconfident," Long said. "And every time I spoke with him, you know, I would speak life into it, but you don't want to set yourself up for a big fall, too. But today is a good day."

A lot has changed since Hamlin went to prison. His daughter, who was a year old at the time, is getting ready to graduate from high school. He also has two sons.

More than anything, his family is looking forward to the rest of his life. Not looking backward, but ahead.

"We try to focus on the next 17 years, the next 20 years, what there is to come," Long said. "You know, we'll talk, and we'll probably laugh and cry a little bit, but the focus is going forward. You can't change the past."

Hamlin will be getting out of prison in April.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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