Gov. Brown Pardons Mostly Target Drug Offenders
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has issued 127 Christmas Eve pardons, the vast majority of them to people convicted of drug offenses.
Typical of the handful of crimes that were not directly drug-related is that committed in 1995 by a Humboldt County woman. She was convicted of burglary after she broke into a home to steal food so she could feed her children.
A statement from the governor's office on Tuesday says all those granted pardons had completed their sentences. They also have been released from custody for more than a decade without committing additional crimes.
The Democratic governor has granted 341 pardons since taking office in 2011.
A gubernatorial pardon does not erase a conviction but rather restores certain rights, such as allowing the person to serve on a jury.
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