Current state law establishes a few non-negotiable requirements for seeking a pardon from the governor. To be eligible for a pardon, at least five years must have passed since the end of the petitioner’s sentence or the sentence of the person on whose behalf a petition has been filed. The petition must also include letters of support demonstrating both “exemplary citizenship” and a “compelling reason” for a pardon.
Notably, Governor Bill Lee changed these standards slightly in January of 2020, when his administration made it so that only a “compelling reason” was necessary for a pardon rather than “a specific and compelling reason.” Similarly, commutation petitions no longer require “clear and convincing evidence” of rehabilitation, and instead now measure rehabilitation “relative to the nature of the offense(s) committed.” These petitions also no longer require “clear and convincing evidence” to be valid.
A Chattanooga pardon attorney could go into further detail regarding the requirements of a strong and admissible petition during a private consultation.