Daughter fights for father's clemancy

ATLANTA - A father who has served nearly 14 years of a life sentence will soon be a free man.

Donald Brooks was convicted for possession and intent to distribute cocaine. Since then, his daughter, Aldes Brooks, has fought to get his sentence reduced.

Aldes was just 19 years old when her father received his sentence. The single mother, who was working her way through college, relied on her father.

“It was very hard. We went through a lot,” said Aldes Brooks.

A federal judge sentenced Donald Brooks in 2002. He was part of huge drug sting that the feds had worked on for nearly ten years. At the time of his arrest, Aldes said her dad no longer was in the drug business.

“He had his own business, working all day making a living honestly, so here you go talking about things he did seven or eight years ago. Now, he goes to jail for life? It was very depressing,” said Aldes Brooks.

Eight years ago, Aldes began writing the White House, and on Thursday she got the news she had waited years to hear: President Obama granted Clemency to her father. Her father's attorney delivered the news.

“I screamed to the top of my lungs and I started crying. Josh said I hope this is good news. I said ‘Yes,’ I said ‘I just can't,’ screamed for like an hour just crying because it was great news,” said Aldes Brooks.

In September, her father will walk out the doors of the federal prison in Atlanta. He will live with her until he gets back on his feet,

“He's very grateful and he's so excited. And he's anxious to get back to working.  He's like ‘I'm ready to find me a job,’” said Aldes Brooks.

And Aldes is ready to greet this father of 11 children back home.