Politics & Government
Greenfield Man Pardoned By Gov. Tony Evers For Drug Conviction
A Greenfield man was charged with possession of THC in 2001 when he was 17. He's one of the 71 people Tony Evers pardoned this week.
GREENFIELD, WI — Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced today he pardoned 71 people across Wisconsin. One of the people who was pardoned lives in Greenfield.
As Governor, Evers has the power to pardon people convicted of a crime. When people are convicted of a felony in Wisconsin, they lose the right to vote. The loss of rights, known as felony disenfranchisement, is similar across most of the U.S. except for two states.
In Wisconsin, people may have their voting rights restored only when a person completes their sentence or if they are pardoned. It's a right that the Greenfield man had taken away before he even saw the chance to vote as he was convicted at 17.
Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The man also lost the right to hold public office, serve on a jury and hold certain licenses. The Governor's pardon restores many of the rights that felons lose upon conviction.
In 2001 the Greenfield man has convicted of possession of THC, a misdemeanor. He was also convicted of a felony under a Wisconsin law that taxes controlled substances.
Find out what's happening in Greenfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The man lived in Milwaukee at the time of his conviction. Since his misdemeanor cannabis conviction 20 years ago, he has moved to Greenfield, earned a real estate broker's license and helps first-time home buyers, according to the news release.
"Hearing from any one of our pardon recipients, you'll hear stories of redemption, service to others and hope for the future," Evers said in a news release. "As I said when I reinstated the pardon board, I believe in forgiveness and the power of redemption, and I believe the people of Wisconsin do, too. So I am glad to announce today that with this latest group of 71 pardon recipients, our total number of pardons is now 263 and counting."
Many of the people pardoned were previously convicted of drug charges. Evers has pardoned 263 people since 2019.
"A pardon is an official act of forgiveness that restores some of the rights that are lost when someone is convicted of a felony, including the right to serve on a jury, hold public office, and hold certain professional licenses. A pardon does not result in an expungement," the news release said.
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