Committee approves rule update for Pardons and Parole; director and commissioner nominees appear for consideration

The Idaho Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee on Thursday approved a rule docket to amend Commission of Pardons and Parole regulations to reflect statutory changes enacted by the 2024 Legislature.

Christine Starr, who introduced herself as the executive director of the Commission of Pardons and Parole, told the committee she has served in the position for three months and outlined her criminal-justice background in prosecution, defense and corrections. Starr said the pending rulemaking—docket number 5001012401—updates rule 550.01(c) to align the commission’s pardon-application timing with House Bill 600 (2024). "In short, this legislation was created to provide for enhanced penalties for second conviction of felony domestic violence, including attempted strangulation," Starr told the committee, adding that the rule clarifies "the time frame for which a person may apply for a pardon on those crimes."

Starr described other operational challenges. She told senators the commission heard more than 6,000 cases last year; commissioners sometimes face calendars with as many as 23 cases on a day and may receive up to 40 pages of materials per case. She said much of the commission’s work occurs in executive session and that many commissioners perform extensive unpaid preparation beyond the time they are compensated for hearings. Starr also said the commission expects to lose more than half its members and that she is exploring ways to increase transparency and public information about commission decisions.

Vice Chair Shippey opened the rule docket for consideration. Starr said the only substantive change in the pending rules is "the addition of felony domestic violence, section 18 9 18 and attempted strangulation," and that the change establishes a 15‑year wait before those offenses may be considered for a pardon. After brief committee discussion and no public comment, Senator Foreman moved to accept docket 5001012401; Senator Lakey seconded the motion. The committee approved the docket by voice vote.

Separately, the committee heard from Mary Martin, a gubernatorial nominee to serve as a commissioner on the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole. Martin, a retired FBI agent who said she spent much of her career investigating crimes against children and fraud, described her motivation to serve and said she weighs criminal history, prior parole outcomes and public-safety concerns when considering cases. Both Martin’s and Starr’s appointments were introduced in committee; the transcript records that votes on those gubernatorial appointments will occur at a subsequent meeting.

The committee did not record roll-call tallies for the docket vote in the transcript; it approved the rule docket by voice vote.