More Pardons Announced Tuesday In Trenton Days Before The Holidays

What Pardon Powers Does New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Hold?

The Governor of New Jersey holds pretty broad pardon powers, meaning they can forgive or reduce criminal penalties for offenses prosecuted under state law. This includes granting full pardons, commuting sentences, and issuing reprieves or suspensions of punishment.

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The governor can step in at basically any point after a conviction, and they don’t need approval from the courts or the legislature to do it. One important limit, though: these powers don’t extend to cases involving impeachment or violations of municipal ordinances.

Basically, it’s a way for the governor to step in and fix something that seems unfair, give someone a break, or handle situations in the justice system that don’t quite fit the usual rules.

How Many Pardons Did Governor Murphy Grant On Tuesday, November 25th?

According to a Patch article today, "On Tuesday, Murphy announced his sixth round of clemency actions, granting 19 commutations and 36 pardons. The recipients had been charged with crimes that ranged from lesser offenses such as drug possession and probation violations, to more serious charges such as aggravated assault and murder."

36 individuals were granted pardons today. 17 individuals were granted commutations of their prison sentences. 2 individuals were granted commutations of their parole sentences.

Since Governor Murphy issued Executive Order No. 362 back in June 2024, the move that set up New Jersey’s first Clemency Advisory Board, his administration has approved a total of 283 clemency grants.