Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has completed his review and recommendations for commutations and pardons for those convicted of a crime in Michigan and has decided to grant 61 requests for clemency.
The governor's executive clemency authority is derived from Section 14 of Article V of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, which provides that the governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons after convictions for all offenses, except cases of impeachment.
A commutation is defined as the reduction of an individual's sentence and does not nullify the underlying conviction, while a pardon erases a conviction from an individual's record. All applications for pardons and commutations must be filed with the Michigan Parole Board. More than 4,000 applications have been received by the board since Snyder took office, which were then reviewed for merit. Those applications determined by the board to have merit were then sent to the governor's office.
Snyder and his legal staff along with the Michigan Parole Board and the state Department of Corrections evaluated applications. Snyder has approved 61 of those recommendations.
"I appreciate the great work done by the state Department of Corrections and by the Michigan Parole Board in the processing of the applications and in the recommendations they provided," Snyder said. "I understand the importance and impact my decisions have, which is why I took great time and care in making my decisions."
The pardons and commutations granted are found online at www.michigan.gov/documents/snyder/Clemency_recipients_641863_7.pdf. No further information will be available on these cases or the governor's decisions to grant or deny any request.
Published: Thu, Dec 27, 2018
