Gov. Evers Grants 71 Pardons, Order To Expand Pardon Process

WISCONSIN — Gov. Tony Evers announced Tuesday that he had granted 71 pardons and signed an executive order to speed up and expand the pardon process.

Evers has pardoned a total of 263 people since the Governor's Pardon Advisory Board was announced in 2019, the governor's office said.

The board heard from applicants virtually in May, June, July and August and forwarded its list of recommended applicants to Evers for final consideration, the governor's office said.

The people pardoned were first arrested for a mixed bag of crimes, with a share of them involving drug charges.

Evers also signed Executive Order No. 130, which allowed the board to recommend applicants for pardons to the governor without a hearing or executive action under certain circumstances, the order said.

Applicants can be forwarded under the new order if they are still eligible to be pardoned, if they have spent enough time serving their sentences for charges to be less severe and if their crime was nonviolent, the order said.

“Hearing from any one of our pardon recipients, you'll hear stories of redemption, service to others and hope for the future,” Evers said. “As I said when I reinstated the pardon board, I believe in forgiveness and the power of redemption, and I believe the people of Wisconsin do, too. So I am glad to announce today that with this latest group of 71 pardon recipients, our total number of pardons is now 263 and counting.”

The governor has the power to pardon people convicted of a crime under the Wisconsin Constitution, the governor's office said. Pardons are an official act of forgiveness and restore some of the rights a person lost after being convicted of a felony, such as the right to serve on a jury, hold public office or hold certain professional licenses.

Pardons don't result in expungement, which means that a person's records will still be available for the public to view, according to the Wisconsin Legislative Council.

People who were convicted of a felony in Wisconsin can apply for a pardon if they completed their sentence at least five years ago without any pending criminal charges or cases, the governor's office said. People who are required to register on the sex offender registry are ineligible for a pardon.