You presented a pardon petition to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, and everything seemed to go very well.  The state’s attorney did not object to your pardon. A couple board members even said you had clearly changed for the better. 

Does the governor have a specific time limit in deciding your petition?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.  Requests for pardon are reviewed very carefully.  As such, you must brace yourself for the possibility that a decision could take two years or longer.  Furthermore, even the quickest decisions will tend to take more than six months.

This does not mean that should give up on requesting a pardon; the relief in receiving a clean slate can be considerable. But it does mean that you must adjust your expectations.

So while the wait may be a long one, I can see from my clients that it is well worth it.

If you wish to seek an Illinois pardon, contact an experienced attorney immediately.  An attorney can help you present you and your situation to the Board in your best possible light.

 If you have questions about executive clemency, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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The governor of Illinois has full power to commute any sentence or issue a pardon for any petitioner he or she deems is worthy. Current governor J.B. Pritzker has already commuted sentences of convicted felons in a number of cases, including some that were very serious. During the COVID-19 crisis, some requests have even been expedited.

After filing a petition with the Prisoner Review Board, you will have an opportunity to present witnesses at a hearing, although prisoners are not be permitted to appear. These hearings are held both in Chicago and in Springfield. The Prisoner Review Board then makes a recommendation to the governor.

The real question is: Can you make a strong case? What was the nature of your involvement in the offense? Were you in a barroom fight or did you take several weeks to plan the perfect crime? How many years have you served on your sentence? What is your prison record like? Have you shown genuine remorse and have you genuinely reformed? Do you have credible character references? Are there special circumstances? During the Covid-19 outbreak, some convicted felons are being released if they can demonstrate a history of significant health issues, such as serious heart trouble or emphysema

Realistically, a serial killer or the perpetrator of a particularly vicious act is not going to be considered for release. Short of that, an experienced attorney can assist in evaluating whether there are compelling reasons to proceed with a petition.

If you have questions about this or another related Illinois criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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In some circumstances, the governor could commute their sentence. Illinois permits offenders to petition the governor for clemency through the State of Illinois Prisoner Review Board. The various types of clemency include commutation of sentence, pardon, expungement or reprieve.

While an attorney is not required, it is well worth considering getting one on board. To apply for commutation, you must submit a Petition for Executive Clemency along with supporting documentation. While just about anyone can fill out the petition, knowing how to present your loved one’s case can be a bit tricky. Be aware that the state’s attorney will likely protest any leniency, and the victim’s family may attend any hearing to protest early release in full force. Furthermore, it is best to avoid protests of innocence, which are almost never successful. An attorney can evaluate your loved one’s case and present the most positive arguments for an early release.

Upon submitting the petition, you may request a hearing before the Prisoner Review Board in either Chicago or Springfield. If a hearing is selected, the defendant will not be allowed to attend. The board will likely have questions and they will listen carefully to any answers. In my practice, I have watched unrepresented parties damage their loved one’s chance of commutation through ill-considered comments. The son of one defendant even chastised a victim’s daughter. As such, an articulate spokesperson who can make the case for your loved one’s release is essential. An experienced attorney can help prepare the testimony of witnesses to make a good impression as well.

If your loved one accepts responsibility for what happened and has a clean record during his or her years of detention, you may have grounds for a successful petition to commute the sentence to time served.

If you have questions about this or another related Illinois criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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Do you need an attorney to file for a pardon in Illinois? The truth is that while you can do it yourself, an attorney can greatly improve the odds of getting a favorable result.

To ask for a pardon, also known as executive clemency, you need to file a petition with the State of Illinois Prisoner Review Board. (Illinois Executive Clemency.) Petition deadlines occur four times yearly and track with the four hearing dates, which alternate between Springfield and Chicago.

The Petition requires you to fill out a form, which seems straightforward enough. You also need to supply information about your criminal history, as well as provide a personal story with supporting documentation. You could do all this yourself.

So why use an attorney? First, many people are not aware of how they come across to others. What you think of as self-deprecating humor may sound arrogant or snarky. What you think of as a reasonable justification might sound self-serving or whiny. What you think of as literate might come across as robotic and impersonal. The Board is never compelled to grant a pardon if they do not wish to do so, and there is no room for error.

Second, the Board wants to see a personal narrative. Many people do not know where to begin. An attorney can help find the thread of your life history and turn it into a compelling story.

Third, an attorney can make sure that the components of your petition are filed correctly, thus helping to prevent delays. If there is a mistake in the Petition, the Board may return it and you could lose your initial hearing date.

While you do not need to appear at hearing, it can help for the Board to see the person behind the story. Therefore, an attorney can help present you at your best on the hearing date. An attorney knows how to ask relevant questions to get your story across without the Board feeling like you are wasting their time. Petitioners generally have a limited time to make their pitch, and every moment counts.

Although an attorney cannot guarantee results, they can increase the chances of giving you a clean slate. If you have questions about pardons or another related criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)

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