Governor Evers Grants More Pardons

Thursday, August 1st, 2024 -- 8:01 AM

(WBAY) Gov. Tony Evers extended his record number of pardons to 1,264 with the announcement that he’s giving a second chance to 153 more people.

According to WBAY, the list of pardon recipients on Friday show the majority committed crimes decades ago, 20, 30, even 60-plus years. People on that list now have high school and college diplomas, even a master’s degree; own businesses or run nonprofits; and raise money for charity or volunteer in their community.

Many note that a court and/or district attorney’s office supported their pardon. A pardon doesn’t clear their criminal record but it restores rights and privileges they lost from their felony conviction, such as certain professional licenses, holding public office or serving on a jury.

A person seeking a pardon must have completed their sentence at least 5 years early and have no pending criminal charges. Anyone on the sex offender registry is not eligible.

Evers’s predecessor, Scott Walker, eliminated the pardon advisory board and made a point of not giving clemency to anyone in the eight years he was governor. In his first year as governor, Evers issued an executive order re-establishing the pardon advisory board.

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