Connecticut pardons session: Board grants 24 pardons, denies 3 and continues 1 case

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles held an absolute-pardon session March 5, 2025, and voted to grant full pardons to 24 applicants, deny three petitions and continue one matter to April 2, 2025. The hearing was conducted by Zoom and presided over by Chair Deborah Smith Palmeri.

The board opened by reminding applicants that any pardon granted is tentative until record checks are finished by the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification, a process that can take up to about 10 weeks. Chair Deborah Smith Palmeri said the board was “committed to conducting this hearing as smoothly as possible” and reiterated that pardons issued at the meeting remain subject to final administrative clearance.

Why it matters: Pardons can remove legal barriers to employment, housing and travel. The board repeatedly balanced that potential benefit against victim impact, public-safety concerns and evidence of rehabilitation, asking applicants about sobriety, counseling, community ties and stable work.

What the board decided and why: The board approved most applications where members found sustained rehabilitation, stable employment and community involvement. Several approvals were unanimous; a handful drew a dissenting vote, and three petitions were denied after members said the applicants’ histories remained too extensive or the applicants had not shown sufficient sustained remediation.

Victim statements and board questioning shaped several outcomes. In the case of Joseph Michael Sabat, the board…