Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles grants most requests on 38-case docket, denies two

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles met Sept. 3, 2025, by Zoom to hear 38 applications for absolute pardons and related motions. Chairperson Michael Pohl opened the session by explaining the effect of an absolute pardon: “An absolute pardon, if granted, results in the complete erasure of your record of criminal convictions in the state.”

The board heard each applicant in turn, received victim input in several cases, and voted on motions to grant, let stand, or deny pardons. The hearing coordinator repeated that any pardon voted today was “tentatively granted” and would not be final until state record checks were completed and the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification cleared the applicant’s record — a process the board said can take up to 10 weeks.

Why it matters: Pardons erase state conviction records and can restore employment and licensing opportunities for people with criminal histories. Victim statements and the recency and seriousness of offenses factored in to several decisions.

Votes at a glance

The board heard dozens of cases and issued several dozen rulings. Items below list each applicant and the board’s final outcome as recorded during the hearing. (Where the transcript included an explicit dissent or denial vote, that is noted.)

- Troy Daniels — motion to let the previously granted pardon (06/04/2025) stand: granted (pardon stands). - Jasmine Cruz — full and absolute pardon: granted. - William Warner — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Thomas Perrin — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Takama McCann — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Marquise Newton — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Tiara Crawford — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Alejandro Lopez — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Yvette Molina Rivera — full and absolute pardon: granted (one board member recorded a nay). - Kehlani Bell — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Jesus Deliz — full and absolute pardon: granted. - David Dwight Knighton Jr. — request denied (board voted to deny after victim input). - Louis Ray Richardson III — full and absolute pardon: granted (one board member recorded a nay). - Andrew Vasquez — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Matthew Wicklund — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Mustafa Zinedine — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Richard Ruiz — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Prince Otis Davis — request denied (motion to deny carried; chair recorded a dissenting vote). - Julie Schiavo — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Marlon Brown — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Jay Boyd (J. Boyd L.) — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Luis Enrique Fernandez — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Tiffany Gray — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Romel/Ramiel Hargett — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Betzaida Soto — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Glenda Zammot (Glenda Zamott) — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Angel Luis Mercado — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Raleigh Miller — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Vincent Morgan — full and absolute pardon: granted (one board member recorded a nay). - Anthony Nesto III — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Michael O'Connor — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Miguel Angel Ramirez Jr. — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Ronald Reid — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Christopher Simonelli — full and absolute pardon: granted. - Dwayne R. Smith — full and absolute pardon: granted.

How the board handled victim input and contested files

The board repeatedly accepted short victim statements read by the Office of Victim Services. In at least one case the victim advocate told the panel plainly: “I am not in agreement with this individual being granted a pardon,” and the board cited that input during deliberations. Victim statements influenced the panel’s vote in at least one denial, and in some grants the board specifically noted the applicant’s long period without subsequent arrests, completion of treatment programs and stable employment.

What is tentative vs. final

Board staff reminded applicants that all pardons granted at the hearing are tentative pending background checks, including clearance from the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification. The coordinator told applicants that it “may take up to 10 weeks from the date of this hearing to securely and safely erase your criminal history from public record,” and that a certificate will be mailed once the record is cleared. The coordinator also warned applicants not to claim their record has been erased until they have received the official certificate.

Notable individual outcomes

- Denials: The board denied David Dwight Knighton Jr.’s application after the Office of Victim Services read a detailed victim statement; the board said the seriousness of the original offense and the victim’s objections weighed against a pardon. The board also denied Prince Otis Davis’s application by majority vote after discussing the applicant’s continuing registration status and the nature of historic offenses.

- Grants with dissents: The panel granted pardons in several cases despite at least one board member registering a dissent. For Yvette Molina Rivera and Louis Richardson III, for example, at least one member recorded a negative vote while the motion to grant still carried.

Quotes from the hearing

- Chair Michael Pohl: “An absolute pardon, if granted, results in the complete erasure of your record of criminal convictions in the state.”

- Hearing coordinator (Parole Officer Ferraro): “Tentatively granted means the board may vote to grant you a pardon, but the pardon is not final until all record checks are successfully completed and your record has been cleared by the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification.”

- Office of Victim Services (reading a victim’s statement): “I am not in agreement with this individual being granted a pardon.”

What happens next

Applicants will receive written notification of today’s vote by email within about a week; if no email was provided the board will mail a letter. The board posts hearing results to its website within 48 hours. Final erasure of records depends on successful clearing by state record systems; certificates are mailed only after that process is complete.

Editorial note: The board’s transcript and audio are the primary source for this summary; readers can find the official docket and posted results on the Board of Pardons and Paroles website.