Opinion ID: 2690309
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Power to Pardon

Text: {¶ 18} The Ohio Constitution, Article III, Section 11 provides, The governor shall have power, after conviction, to grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, for all crimes and offenses, except treason and cases of impeachment, upon such conditions as the governor may think proper; subject, however, to such regulations, as to the manner of applying for commutations and pardons, as may be prescribed by law.    The governor shall communicate to the General Assembly, at every regular session, each case of reprieve, commutation, or pardon granted, stating the name and crime of the convict, the sentence, its date, and the date of the commutation, pardon, or reprieve, with the governor’s reasons therefor. {¶ 19} The only limits that can be placed on the governor’s ability to grant a pardon are those specifically authorized by Article III, Section 11 of the Ohio 7 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO Constitution. Knapp v. Thomas, 39 Ohio St. 377, 392 (1883). The Ohio Constitution allows the General Assembly to prescribe procedural prerequisites to the application process for pardons, but the legislature may not prescribe substantive regulations concerning the governor’s discretion in granting a pardon. State ex rel. Maurer v. Sheward, 71 Ohio St.3d 513, 519-520, 644 N.E.2d 369 (1994). We have also held that the governor’s exercise of discretion in using the clemency power is not subject to judicial review. Knapp at 391.