With Governor Tony Evers in office, many people in Wisconsin are excited that pardons will be available once again. Unfortunately, the process of granting pardons to Wisconsin residents has gotten off to a slow start. Governor Evers, who promised during the campaign to issue pardons, said that he is “disappointed” that his administration has not set up the Pardon Advisory Board nearly four months into his term.

The Pardon Advisory Board will be made up of about 15 people who will review applications from felons and make recommendations to the governor. Gov. Evers said that he has a team of three lawyers who are working to revive the pardons review board and is hopeful that the Pardon Advisory Board will be operational by summer. Evers explained that his lawyers have not had enough time to resolve this pardon issue because they have been busy focusing on legal challenges to the lame-duck legislative session Republicans started in December.

Despite these challenges, Governor Evers said that forming the Pardon Advisory Board was “exceedingly important” and that it would be his “top priority.” Evers made these statements while campaigning with residents from all over Wisconsin -- not just the urban areas -- who made it clear that they were interested in allowing for the consideration of pardons.

After receiving overwhelming support from both Republicans and Democrats, Wisconsin lawmakers have continued to push for legislation that would allow more people to seek expungement. The bill is called the “Pathways to Employment,” a title that illustrates the purpose behind the proposed law: to help former non-violent offenders transition from prison into the workforce. The Pathways to Employment bill is designed to provide persons convicted of lower-level crimes with a second chance at life and also seeks to reduce Wisconsin’s labor shortage.

Expungement involves a person petitioning to have his or her criminal convictions expunged, or cleared from the public court record. Because a criminal record can hinder a person’s ability to secure housing, employment, financial aid, and other opportunities that require a background check, this new expungement law truly provides people with a second chance. Since the Pathways to Employment bill passed at the committee level with bipartisan support in both chambers, supporters believe that this bill will soon become law. A full vote to determine whether this expungement bill will become law is scheduled to take place in May. 

Who Would Qualify for Expungement Under the New Law?

The proposed Pathways to Employment expungement law will apply to non-violent, lower-level offenders charged with Class H felonies and below. Under current Wisconsin law, only defendants under the age of 25 can receive an expungement and in addition, the expungement must be ordered at the time of sentencing. Critics of the current expungement system complain that Wisconsin’s expungement laws are “illogical.” Critics explain that under current law, a judge is prohibited from addressing expungement post-sentence, a time when an offender’s rehabilitation is more apparent. Today, many Wisconsin residents are missing out on valuable employment opportunities because they have a non-violent criminal conviction hanging over their head.  

Drones have become popular in several industries and among personal users. As such, Wisconsin has passed laws prohibiting certain acts involving drones. This is an emerging area of law, and ignorance of the law is not a defense to criminal charges. If you use a drone or are considering using a drone, you should educate yourself on drone laws.

What Is a Drone? How Are They Used?

Under Wisconsin law, a drone is defined as an aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft. The number of drones purchased each year continues to increase as drone technology and utility improves. In January 2018, more than one million drones were registered with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Drones can be used in many ways, including:

The news that pardons will once again be granted in Wisconsin has gotten out, and pardon applications have begun rolling in. It is expected that once the Pardon Advisory Board is fully filled, even more pardon requests will be received by the state. 

The Pardon Advisory Board reviews pardon applications and makes recommendations to the Governor. Some of those seeking pardons ask for commutation of a sentence, while others have served their sentences and want to receive a pardon in order to be able to move on with their lives. Pardons typically restore all civil litigation that were affected by the conviction, such as the right to vote, serve on a jury, possess a firearm, hold certain professional licenses, and run for office. 

Why Are Pardons Now an Option?

The new Wisconsin governor, Tony Evers, has recently announced that his office will entertain pardon requests. The prior governor, Scott Walker, had placed a moratorium on considering any pardons. 

By Raymond Dall'Osto

Expungement is a powerful tool to help provide a second chance for those convicted of criminal charges. For that reason, it is highly sought by many who wish to clear their criminal records. The Wisconsin Legislature has before it and is currently considering a bill that would make more people eligible to have their records expunged and provide some necessary reforms to overcome obstacles to expungement that have been imposed by a series of court of appeals decisions over the past several years. 

What Is Expungement?

Expungement is the removal of certain criminal convictions or juvenile court records from official state records, which include the official court record, possibly the state’s online court record system (CCAP), and the arrest records kept by the Dept. of Justice Crime Information Bureau in Madison.  Under Wisconsin law, to expunge is “to strike or obliterate from the record all references to the defendant’s name and identity.”  Expungement of a criminal record allows someone arrested on criminal charges or convicted of a crime to have a clean start with regard to that case.