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Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles grants dozens of hearings and pardons, denies a small number of applications
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Summary
At its March 9, 2026 meeting the Board of Pardons and Paroles granted multiple full and absolute pardons during an expedited docket, authorized numerous full pardon hearings in prescreen, and denied a handful of applications after members raised public-safety concerns and incomplete applications.
The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles met March 9 and approved a large number of pardons and requests for full hearings, while denying several applications that members said posed current public-safety risks.
Chair Mike Pohl opened the virtual session and ran through procedures, noting that an absolute pardon, if granted, can take up to 10 weeks to be removed from public records and that a pardon is not a finding of innocence. The board moved quickly through an expedited docket, voting to grant full and absolute pardons for cases including James Bartos, Ryan Daniel King, Paul Herman Moreau, Kevin Jude Thaddeus Moore, Morton Walters III, Robert Lee Johnson Jr., and Patrick Natsen. "I do not have a problem with this pardon," Chair Mike Pohl said when introducing the first case.
The board's prescreen review then considered a longer list of applications and repeatedly chose between three options: deny, authorize a full pardon hearing, or (when applicable) issue a certificate of employability. Several contested files prompted substantive discussion. Board member Nancy Turner pressed the panel to treat some files cautiously when she described grooming-like conduct in one file: "I think it's important to understand that grooming activities ... is a precursor" to more serious contact, she said, and voted against granting a full pardon in that matter. Board member Raffaro Barry frequently framed cases around post-conviction stability and employment prospects, saying in several reviews he would be "willing to hear" applicants who showed community stability.
Notable outcomes included the authorization of a full pardon hearing for Jose Luis Garcia by a 2–1 vote (Barry aye, Turner nay, chair aye) after Turner raised concerns about the facts and whether the applicant had fully acknowledged responsibility. The board denied the pardon application of Thomas Michael Smith, citing poor performance on community supervision and an active criminal protective order; the chair recorded the denial, with Barry and Turner voting in support of denial. Vanity Demesia Wheeler's application was denied after members described a repetitive pattern of larceny-related offenses and insufficient offense detail in her application; the board said public safety required the record remain intact.
The board also granted full hearings in a number of other prescreen cases — including Adam Christopher Arpin, Kiara Dominique Davis (hearing authorized over a Turner nay), Eric Eugene Prior, Ernesto Prisco, James Tony Turner, Tyrone Bernard Whitaker, Brian Anthony De Janeiro (hearing authorized over a Barry nay), Jesus Manuel Dominguez Sanchez, Joe Fragoso, Taiwan/Tawan Morrow, Kevin Andre Newton, Linwood/Lynwood Patrick, Russell Francis Dory Jr., Jonathan Franklin McDowell, Tony Eugene Richardson (hearing authorized by majority) and others — generally where members said they wanted to examine details in person before making a final determination.
The meeting record shows the board balancing concerns about public safety, the seriousness and recency of convictions, and evidence of rehabilitation or stable employment. Chair Pohl emphasized procedural fairness and the availability of hearings when members wanted more information: "If you do not attend, you risk being denied," he reminded applicants when describing the hearing process.
The prescreen review concluded with a motion to adjourn and the chair's closing remarks. The board recorded its votes and will notify applicants of denials by email within one week; applicants granted hearings will be contacted with Zoom hearing dates. The full docket and individual case files are part of the Board record for March 9, 2026.
