Board of Pardons and Paroles grants most applications in 40‑case Zoom docket; several denied after victim testimony

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles conducted an absolute‑pardon hearing by Zoom on Aug. 11, 2026, processing roughly 40 applicants. Chair Deborah Smith Palmeri opened the session and reiterated that any pardon the board votes to grant is tentative until record checks by the Connecticut State Police are completed and a certificate is mailed.

Panelists moved through a long docket of applicants with a mix of outcomes. Where applicants documented long periods of law‑abiding behavior, steady employment and treatment, the board voted to grant pardons. Where victims delivered sustained, detailed impact statements or panelists could not verify rehabilitation programs, the board denied some applications. ‘‘The people of the state of Connecticut have vested the board of pardons and parole with extraordinary responsibility,’’ Chair Deborah Smith Palmeri said in opening remarks.

Notable outcomes included a denial for Matthew Sawyer after the victim, William Webster, detailed catastrophic injuries from a hit‑and‑run motorcycle collision; a denial for Lonnie Mebane after an extended victim statement alleging repeated domestic violence; and mixed deliberations in cases where documentation of treatment or programming was incomplete. Several applicants with decades‑long stretches without new convictions, letters of support and community service were granted pardons. Results are tentative and subject to final record confirmation and issuance of certificates by mail.