Sistersville daily review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1905-1907, 1905-05-16
Executive CIemcncy;
How Administered
Entire Change Of System Since Last Legislature
Abolished the Board of PardonS

munication concerning the duties
of the Pardon Clerk, which Office
was created at the last session OF
the Legislature when the Board OF
Pardons was abolished, has been
received from Governor w. NJ. O..
Dawson:
1. Applications for executive
clemency must be signed by two
perons in addition to the person
desireing relief, and should be ad,
dressed to "the Governor OF West
Virginia." and be forwarded to
"The Pardon Clerk They
should be written on one side OF
the paper, and refer to any other
papers filed with them as exhibits
or otherwise; as far as practical
BILE all papers should be typewrit-
ten on one side of the sheet. The
paper should be the usual legal
size (8X13 inches) and so prepared
as to admit of fastening together
at the top.
2. Before filing his application
the applicant must advertise no.
tice of the intention to make such
application once in each week for
two successive weeks in a news
paper of general circulation, pub
lished in the county wherein the
applicant was indicted. Proof OF
publication Of such notice, must
accompany the application, which
proof should be the certificate OF
the publisher of the newspaper,
ON the margin Of which certificate
should bepasted copy of the no
tice cut from the newspaper.
3. The application must state
the names of the applicant, his
age, where born, previous Occu-
patton. and nature of crime for
which convicted, and when it was
alleged to have been committed;
I in what court, at what term, and
for how long he was sentenced;
the names and postoffice addresses
of the trial judge and prosecut-
ing attorney, and of the counsel
for the defense: whether the APP
plicant was ever previously in
dicted or convicted of a felony or
misdemeanor: and the grounds
upon which the pardon is asked.
ANY other information as to the
family relations and antecedents
thought proper, may be furnish
ed.
4. AS soon as received, each APP
plicatiOn. with the accompanying
papers. will be forwarded to the
Prosecuting Attorney for the
county where the trial took place,
with request to report thereon,
sending the statement OF his pred
ecessor when he did not himself
appear in the case. and also that
of any special attorney for the
state who took part in the trial.
He is also directed to obtain, if
posi- Bile, the views of the trial
Judge. A case once so referred
will not again be referred with
out a written request from the
Prosecuting Attorney or the trial
Judge: and case once acted up
on will not be reopened, except
upon the presentation OF new
and material facts.
). When the plea for executive
clemency is based upon a mlS-trlaf
or an erroneous verdict of the
Jury, a copy of the evidence at
the trial should be furnished. A
| full statement of the evidence.
should, so far as obtainable. ac-
company each application. Mere
petitions or letters signed by
people asking for pardon will
have little weight and are not de-
sired. Statements from the judge
or prosecuting attorney at the
time of the applicant s trial, are
not desired to accompany the APP
plication. These officers will be
asked by the Pardon Clerk for
their views. Recommendations by
the jury, or majority of them,
before whom the applicant was
tried, will be considered if stated
| in their own language. giving
their own reasons for overriding
their verdict. The opinions of
county officers and other respect