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Pardon

A pardon is a government decision to allow a person who has been convicted of a crime, to be free and absolved of that conviction, as if never convicted.

PardonA pardon is a government decision to allow a person who has been convicted of a crime, to be free and absolved of that conviction, as if never convicted.

It is typically used to remove a criminal record against a good citizen for a small crime that may have been committed during adolescence or young adulthood.

Although procedures vary from one state to another, the request for a pardon usually involves a lengthy period of time of irreproachable behavior and a reference check.

Generally speaking, the more serious the crime, the longer the time requirement for excellent behavior.

In the USA, the power to pardon for federal offenses is rarely used and belongs to the President.

References or Further Reading:

Pardons in Canada


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Unless otherwise noted, this article was written by Lloyd Duhaime, Barrister, Solicitor, Attorney and Lawyer (and Notary Public!). It is not intended to be legal advice and you would be foolhardy to rely on it in respect to any specific situation you or an acquaintance may be facing. In addition, the law changes rapidly and sometimes with little notice so from time to time, an article may not be up to date. Therefore, this is merely legal information designed to educate the reader. If you have a real situation, this information will serve as a good springboard to get legal advice from a lawyer.

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