Last week we looked at Texas executive clemency (pardons) and the opportunity convicted persons have to restore their citizenship rights through full, conditional, or innocence based pardons. Now a short study of how folks go about applying for a pardon.
The pardon process begins with a lengthy application process. Before beginning the Board of Pardons and Parole recommends the applicant obtain the following documents: (1) offense reports for any arrests; (2) certified court documents for these arrests including complaints, indictments, judgments, orders of dismissals, etc; (3) an official criminal history statement from their local county sheriff; and (4) three current letters of recommendation from persons other than family members who are familiar with the applicant.
The official pardon application form is found at the Board of Pardons and Parole website. After downloading the handy form allowing an applicant to fill in information using a standard word-processing program, the person carefully completes the application using the pardon application checklist, also provided.
There are limitations to applying for executive clemency in Texas, however. The Board will not consider a full pardon requests for the following cases: treason, arrests with no conviction, deferred adjudications, early dismissals from probation, Class C misdemeanors, out-of-state felony convictions, federal convictions, or applicants who were denied a full pardon less than one year prior to the present application.
An application for a pardon in Texas can be a tricky process. If you are interested in seeking a pardon, contact a qualified Texas criminal defense lawyer to assist you in preparing the application.
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