Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles holds absolute pardon session; dozens granted, a few denied after victim testimony

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles met by videoconference on Sept. 9, 2025, to hear applications for absolute pardons. Chair Deborah Smith Palmeri and parole officer/hearing coordinator Parole Officer Bryant presided. Board members hearing cases included Joy Chance and Sergio Rodriguez among others. Applicants spoke briefly about their convictions, rehabilitation, employment and community work; the board asked targeted questions about treatment, sobriety, victim contact and any outstanding restitution.

The board granted many full and absolute pardons during a long docket of individual hearings. Members regularly cited the combination of long elapsed time since convictions, stable employment or small-business ownership, completion of court-ordered programs and evidence of community service as reasons for supporting pardons. Several applicants stressed long periods without arrest, participation in counseling or 12-step programs, and examples of paid or voluntary work that the board pointed to as evidence of rehabilitation.

Victim impact shaped several decisions. The board denied a full and absolute pardon for Jennifer Helmedek (case heard after mid‑morning testimony) after extensive victim-family statements and panel deliberation; the chair read the reasons for denial, citing the injury to victims and seriousness of the offense. The board also denied the application of Jose Berrios after a detailed victim statement describing long-term harm. In other cases the Office of Victim Services relayed victim views favorable to a pardon, and the panel factored those statements into its votes.

Votes and notable outcomes: the panel issued individual motions on each file, often moving from applicant testimony directly to a motion and vote. Several matters were continued to a future docket (for example, Fernando Ruiz Acevedo and Diana Salter were continued to the Oct. 7, 2025 docket). Where pardons were granted, the board clarified that any tentative pardon remains subject to final record checks and clearing by the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification before official expungement and issuance of a certificate of pardon.

What happens next: Applicants will receive written notice by email or mail within a week of the hearing; records will be updated after completion of background checks (the board cautioned applicants it can take up to 10 weeks for records to be erased and warned that web or third‑party background sources may still show historical information until removal is complete). The board’s decisions are effective as recorded in its minutes; applicants denied today were told how they might strengthen future filings and were encouraged to reapply when they meet the board’s expectations for rehabilitation and community engagement.

Votes at a glance (selected cases and outcomes): - Jennifer Helmedek — denied. Board cited the injury to victims and the seriousness of the offense; multiple family members spoke in opposition and the Office of Victim Services delivered victim input. (Case introduced/deliberated starting SEG 1093; denial read SEG 1799–1820.) - Jose Berrios — denied following strong victim testimony delivered via the Office of Victim Services describing long-term harm. (Case heard beginning SEG 4636; denial motion and vote SEG 4961–4972.) - Jessica Rapuano — denied; panel members cited the relative recency of the DUI and recommended continued recovery and community service before reapplying (SEG 8120–8169). - Several dozen other applicants received full and absolute pardons after panel questions about treatment and community contributions (examples include Michael Bonajito, Raymond Dawson, Michael Decipio, Clifford Yeske, William Barrett, and many others whose individual motions were read and recorded during the docket).

The board repeatedly reminded applicants that pardons granted today are tentative pending final record checks; once the Connecticut State Police confirms records are clear, the board will mail a certificate of pardon and update its website. The hearing adjourned after the panel completed the docket and took a brief comfort break during the session.

Reported by this summary: chair Deborah Smith Palmeri and Parole Officer Bryant (hearing coordinator); board members Joy Chance and Sergio Rodriguez were prominent questioners. The Office of Victim Services coordinated and read multiple victim statements that materially affected outcomes in the most contested cases. The board will post written results to its website, and applicants can expect email or mailed notice within a week.