(The Center Square) — Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is wielding her executive clemency powers to grant end-of-the-year pardons and commutations for more than a dozen individuals with past criminal convictions.
Hochul, a Democrat who is seeking reelection next year, granted clemency to 13 individuals Tuesday after a “thoughtful consideration and analysis by a panel of independent experts.” She said the men and women “have demonstrated remorse, rehabilitation and improvement in themselves and their communities” but their prior convictions have prevented them from getting their lives back on track.
“Since taking office, my Administration has made significant changes to New York’s clemency program to make the process more effective, fair, and transparent, and I remain committed to working with law enforcement, victims’ rights groups, prosecutors and reform advocates to ensure a fair and responsible clemency process for all individuals seeking relief in New York,” Hochul said in a statement.
Among those tapped for a pardon is Peter Asan, 60, who was convicted of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree in 1989; Sixto Carrasquillo Jr., 56, who was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree in 1988 and Denise De Simone Fierro, 60, who was convicted of two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree in 1987, according to Hochul’s office.
The governor also commuted the prison sentences of two men: Terrance Cole, 59, who was convicted of four counts of Burglary in the Second Degree in 2014; and Raphael Jackson, 53, who was convicted of two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and is serving a 16-year-to-life sentence as a repeat offender.
Hochul’s commutations mean the two men will be eligible for parole, but the New York State Board of Parole will ultimately decide if they will be released from prison before the end of their sentences.
Hochul said those granted clemency on Tuesday have “lived crime-free lives” for a significant period of time — in most cases for over 25 years — and “demonstrated positive contributions” to their communities. Several of the pardon recipients were convicted of an offense while living in New York State, but they have since relocated to other states, Hochul’s office said.
All of the requests, which were approved by the governor’s Clemency Advisory Panel, included written pleas from applicants and letters of support from relatives, employers, church pastors and community leaders.
Pardons by a governor are official forgiveness of an offense. They are generally granted to people with previous arrests and convictions who’ve served their time and want a clean record. Commutations are requests by people currently serving time and seeking early release.
Unlike the federal clemency process — in which the president has broad constitutional powers to pardon anyone with the stroke of a pen — New York offenders must have been convicted of a crime for an executive pardon or commutation to be approved.
Many of Hochul’s predecessors have also been reluctant to grant pardons and commutations until the end of their time in office.
Hochul granted her first commutation on Christmas Eve in 2022, shortly after taking over the governor’s office from disgraced former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who resigned amid sexual harassment claims. She also granted pardons to nine individuals with previous convictions, all of them immigrants facing deportation proceedings.
Hochul has also pushed through reforms to increase transparency in process and created the Clemency Advisory Panel to streamline reviews of applications, which can be submitted online. After her actions Tuesday, Hochul has signed off on clemency for at least 120 individuals, the governor’s office said.
