Parole board denies several clemency requests after victim testimony; recommends multiple pardons to governor

The Committee on Parole met Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, and considered a lengthy docket of clemency applications ranging from decades-old convictions to more recent felony cases. The board weighed rehabilitation, victim impact statements and the length of time since supervision before voting on each petition. Several applications were denied, while others received the board’s recommendation to the governor for a full pardon, often including restoration of firearm rights.

The board opened with routine business — minutes from the Dec. 17 meeting were approved and members agreed to a three-minute time limit for speakers to keep a lengthy docket moving. The committee then began interviews and public testimony for individual applicants.

In several cases the board cited what members repeatedly called an insufficient "cleansing period" — the time the board prefers to see elapse after completion of supervision before recommending a pardon. For example, Carrie Auger (DOC 745292), who told the board she had struggled with personal issues at the time of her possession conviction and later became active in church and community work, was denied after members noted opposition from the sentencing judge and the district attorney and that she had been off supervision only three years. As Mister Stapleton explained on the record: "My vote today is to deny because there hasn't been enough time between the… time when you got off of probation. Now it's only been 3 years." The board voted to deny Auger’s petition.

The board also denied Kobe LeBlanc (DRC 737-056) after members reviewed a criminal-history pattern and said the record, including multiple prior arrests and some convictions, counseled against clemency at this time.

A heavily contested case involved Gerald Greenhouse, whose conviction was connected to an incident that resulted in the death of a child. Family members and colleagues testified in his support; the victim’s relatives delivered emotional opposition in public comment. Board members stressed the seriousness of the offense and the fact that fewer than ten years had elapsed since the incident. After debate the board denied Greenhouse’s application.

Not every hearing ended in a denial. The board recommended pardons to the governor for multiple applicants whose files showed long post-conviction periods without new offenses and community involvement. Examples include Matthew Stewart (recommended for a pardon with restoration of firearms rights after board members cited a lengthy period of sobriety and stable employment) and Mai Oh, whose counsel said the applicant needs a state pardon to advance a pending federal immigration process; the board recommended a pardon without firearm restoration so she may pursue family-based immigration steps. In one late-afternoon decision the board recommended a pardon with restoration of firearms for James W. Hendrick (often referenced as Pender in the record) after members noted a substantial passage of time, a civil settlement related to the underlying incident, and his service record.

Board members frequently invited comment from district attorneys, sheriffs and victims’ relatives before voting. DAs or law-enforcement offices filed objections on multiple files and those objections influenced several denials; when no law-enforcement opposition was on the record and petitioners showed long, demonstrable rehabilitation, members were likelier to vote for a recommendation. Several applicants were explicitly told to reapply once they had reached the board’s customary time thresholds.

Votes at a glance (representative outcomes recorded by the board): - Carrie Auger — denied (opposition noted from judge/DA; insufficient time since supervision). - Kobe LeBlanc — denied (criminal-history concerns). - Gerald Greenhouse — denied (seriousness of offense; victim opposition; under 10 years elapsed). - Fiaz Afzal (physician) — denied (board cited the nature of the Medicaid-fraud matter despite restitution having been paid and expungement steps; applicant said he needs pardon for immigration/licensure purposes). - Matthew Stewart — recommended to governor for pardon with restoration of firearms rights (board cited long cleansing period and sobriety). - Mai Oh — recommended for pardon without restoration of firearms to support immigration/citizenship steps (board asked counsel to provide court documentation). - James W. Hendrick (Pender) — recommended to governor for pardon with restoration of firearms (board cited passage of time, veteran status and a civil settlement in the record).

What happens next: Board recommendations are sent to the governor’s office for final action. Applicants who received denials were generally encouraged to reapply after meeting the board’s preferred time thresholds or addressing the specific concerns raised (for instance, outstanding restitution, ongoing supervision, or strong law-enforcement opposition). The board closed the docket after recording votes and asking staff to follow up on requested documentation.

The meeting transcript records many more individual files and votes than can be fully summarized here. The board’s decisions repeatedly hinged on three factors: the length of the applicant’s post-supervision “cleansing” period, any recorded opposition from victims or law enforcement, and documented evidence of rehabilitation or continuing public service. The transcript in full contains names, exact vote statements and the board’s requests for follow-up documentation.