Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Grants Over 300 Pardons Through Expedited Project
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office announced that he has signed pardons for 323 individuals through his Expedited Pardon Project. An additional 340 applications are currently in progress. The program, launched in December 2019, aims to provide a second chance to individuals with relatively low-level criminal records who have demonstrated exemplary, law-abiding lives since their convictions. The initiative has received over 1,600 applications from 84 Ohio counties. Staff and students from Ohio law schools, including Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, offer free legal assistance to applicants, who then submit their pardon requests to the Ohio Parole Board. State law mandates a recommendation from the parole board before a governor can issue a pardon, which serves as an official act of clemency, removing legal disabilities stemming from a conviction.