Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles grants most requests, denies several after victim input and record concerns

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles met Dec. 9, 2025 via Zoom to hear more than 30 applications for absolute pardons. Chair Michael Pohl opened the session by outlining the board’s limited powers and reminding applicants that any grant is tentative until state record checks are completed: “An absolute pardon, if granted, may result in the complete erasure of your record of criminal convictions in the state,” he said, adding that a pardon is not a finding of innocence.

The board moved through the docket, hearing short presentations from applicants and attorneys and asking questions focused on rehabilitation, public-safety risk and victim impact. Several applicants described long periods without new convictions, steady employment, recovery programs or community service; others faced recent convictions, restraining orders or unresolved restitution that prompted additional scrutiny.

Victim impact played a decisive role in at least one major denial. After applicant Leroy Roden described remorse for his role in a fatal crash, a family member, Emera Staton, told the panel in an emotional statement that the death “severely affects my mental health” and that she would “never forgive him.” The board cited the injury to the victim’s family and the seriousness of the offense when it moved to deny Roden’s request.

The board also denied Edwin (Ed) Ortiz’s application by a 2–1 vote after members said his record showed repeated…