Who Can Grant Criminal Pardons in the United States?

When facing a federal criminal charge, there are two chief outcomes: guilty or not guilty. But what about being pardoned for your crimes? What does this mean, exactly? And who can grant pardons to suspected or convicted criminals? Continue reading to learn what you need to know about criminal pardons if you are someone you love is facing serious charges.

Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514
Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514

What is a Pardon?

Also known as clemency, a pardon is a type of acquittal that wholly sets aside or lessens the punishment for a felony. You have likely seen this action take place on your favorite crime action hero movies, and there is a reason why. Federal criminal pardons are extremely rare. It is essentially the government’s way of forgiving a person for their crimes. There are a few additional forms of clemency that the President can grant to a defendant. These include commutation, remission, and reprieve.

Commutation – Given a lesser punishment;
Remission – Given relief from a penalty, restitution, or forfeiture;
Reprieve – Temporary delay of sentence (i.e. death penalty);

Granting a Pardon

If you are wondering whether or not there is a change of be granted a pardon, perhaps learning who has the discretion to grant them will answer your question. You see, a federal pardon can only be given by the President of the United States, known as the power of executive clemency, and decreed in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution.

So in order to receive a pardon for a crime, someone must get the attention of the Presidency. In order for a defendant to be granted clemency by the President of the United States, they must also meet the specified qualifications, which involve factors such as the number of years since the conviction or release from incarceration, character references, recent criminal history, and more.

Records of Pardoned Crimes

Depending on the state, if a person has a crime pardoned by the government, it will most likely still show up on public databases, but it will also show that the person was pardoned for the incident. In such cases, a person could petition for criminal record expungement to have their criminal history sealed from public access.

How to Expunge Criminal Records in Indiana

Call 317-636-7514 to get started on the Indiana criminal record expungement application process. We offer professional criminal record expungement services starting as low as $850! As a seasoned criminal defense law firm, we are well-versed in the Indiana expungement laws, and know exactly how to file and obtain a legal expungement, successfully. Call our office at 317-636-7514 and schedule a free initial consultation to determine your eligibility, today.

Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514
Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514

Remove Criminal Charges and Arrests From Your Personal Record in Indiana

Currently, in Indiana, you can expunge criminal offenses from your personal records.  If you have been convicted of a crime, or arrested for a crime, you may be eligible to have those records removed for good!  Drunken driving charges, public intoxication arrests, driving violations, and more can all be hidden from potential employers, public records, home leasing contracts, and more. 

Criminal Record Expungement Attorney
Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514

Start By Hiring a Qualified Lawyer

Although a person can now expunge criminal records in Indiana, it is highly encouraged (arguably mandatory) to hire a lawyer for accurate assistance. Since you can only file for criminal expungement once in a lifetime, it is important to file your petition with 100% precision and correctness. Even a minor spelling error can jeopardize the outcome of your expungement approval.

Act Fast While There’s Still Time

In addition to precision petitioning, you must act fast before the new law is no longer in affect. Many interest groups were against this law being passed in the first place, so it could be repealed at any time. This possibility makes this law a once in a lifetime chance to clear your criminal history and get better job and housing opportunities for your family. Take action fast before this law goes away. It is a very unpopular law and can be repealed any day now.

Contact Expunge Criminal Record Indiana to get started on your petition as soon as today. We are highly experienced and licensed criminal defense attorneys who have a special practice dedicated solely to Indiana criminal record expungement clients and cases. Since before the new law was passed, our criminal defense attorneys have been fervently studying the new Indiana Second Chance law. We are the criminal defense lawyers to trust when it comes to expunging your criminal records the right way.

If You Don’t Qualify for Expungement

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements for criminal record expungement, you may still qualify for record sealing or “shielding.” Your licensed criminal defense lawyer can make this determination for you, but the primary differences between expungement and sealing is who can access the records and who cannot. See our blog, “What is the Difference Between Expunging and Sealing a Criminal Record?” to learn more.

Think you can’t afford it? YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN!

We offer criminal expungement services starting as low as $850! Furthermore, we offer free initial consultations so that you may discuss your case without any out-of-pocket obligations. Call 317-636-7514 if you would like to petition for restricted access or criminal record expungement in Indianapolis. We are eager to help you reform your criminal record so that you can have the quality of life you and your loved ones deserve.

Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514
Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514

Do You Have an Inaccurate Criminal Record?

If someone were to run a background check on you, do you know what would show up? Sometimes, a person can get in trouble with the law, but never actually do time or receive a conviction. In these cases, an arrest that led to no conviction might make a person feel like their criminal record is not accurate, nor a representation of themselves.

For instance, if Ned was arrested and charged with rape, but then later the accuser admits she was lying, he would not be convicted. However, the record of being arrested and charged with rape will linger on his personal record forever even though he was found not guilty.

In another example, a person can commit a crime using a stolen identity, leading to the arrest of the wrong person later on. The falsely-arrested person, although entirely innocent, will have to live with the arrest and charges on their criminal record forever. If this is something that sounds familiar, you might want to think about your options in terms of fixing your criminal record.

Expunging Incorrect Criminal Records

In order to fix incorrect criminal records, a person must qualify, file, and be granted criminal record expungement. But in order for someone to qualify, one of five scenarios must be true:

The arrest never led to criminal charges.
The arrest never led to a conviction.
The criminal charges were dropped as a result of mistaken identity.
The criminal charges were dropped because no crime was committed.
The criminal charges were later dropped a judge found no probable cause.

If you can answer yes to any of the above-listed scenarios, you will likely be granted expungement. That is, if you don’t have any pending criminal charges against you, and your record doesn’t have any other arrests or infractions other than minor traffic offenses. However, applicants can only petition for criminal record expungement one time in their lifetime. And just one simple mistaken, even a procedural mistake or spelling error, can get your petition denied. For this reason, it is important to hire a criminal defense lawyer to help you correct your criminal record.

Expunge Criminal Records in Indiana

Call 317-636-7514 to expunge criminal records in Indiana. We offer criminal record expungement services starting as low as $850! As a seasoned criminal defense law firm, we are well-versed in the new Indiana expungement laws, and know exactly how to file and obtain a legal expungement, successfully. Call our office at 317-636-7514 and schedule a free initial consultation to determine your eligibility, today.