PARDON: OVERVIEW

Although a criminal arrest record may be restricted in certain situations when you have a criminal case dismissed (or nolle prossed), if you are convicted of a crime or plead guilty to a crime a restriction is not available to you, but do not despair. Even though you cannot restrict your criminal record, you may be eligible to receive a pardon from the state of Georgia.

A pardon is a state-certified order of forgiveness from the state of Georgia. After an individual completes their sentence, a pardon may be granted to individuals who have maintained a reputation in their community as an upstanding citizen. The pardon is then attached to the individual’s criminal record stating that the state of Georgia has pardoned the crime.  While a pardon does not restrict (expunge), remove, or erase the crime from an individual’s record, the pardon may help an individual advance in employment opportunities or higher education.

PARDON APPLICATION

When applying for a pardon in the state of Georgia, there are two (2) different pardon applications: (1) the general pardon application (for all individuals seeking a pardon and who are not on the sex offender registry), and (2) sex offender pardon application (for all individuals on the sex offender registry who are seeking a pardon).

You may obtain a copy of each pardon application directly from the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles website HERE.

If you are interested in seeking a pardon, or if you just want to ask a few questions, give us a call today at 770-415-9848 to discuss your options at The Sellers Law Firm, LLC: where clients be come family.

You may also submit a case evaluation request on our website HERE.