How to Write a Pardon Letter

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Someone convicted of a crime may seek a pardon to restore their legal rights, such as the right to vote or serve on a jury. Pardons for federal crimes are issued by the President of the United States, while pardons for state crimes are issued by the Governor of the state in which the crime was committed. [1] X Research source If you know someone – either personally or professionally – who is seeking a pardon, they may ask you to write a letter in support of their pardon application. Although specific requirements vary depending on the jurisdiction in which the person is seeking a pardon, the basic process will be similar.

Gathering Information

• The person seeking a pardon can explain to you why they are asking you to write a letter, and what needs to be included.
• Keep in mind that your letter will be submitted under penalty of perjury, so avoid agreeing to write anything if you have no direct knowledge of it or can't verify its truth.
• You also need to have a good idea of why the person is seeking a pardon and what they expect to gain if granted the pardon. Typically, this needs to be something apart from simply wanting to clear their name, or wanting to restore rights such as the right to bear arms. Rather, there should be some independent goal, such as being licensed in a particular professional field or advancing at work, that can only be achieved if a pardon is granted. [2] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source

• For example, if you are related by blood or marriage to the person seeking a presidential pardon for a federal crime, you cannot be used as a primary character reference. [3] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source

• Make sure these examples or anecdotes are things you directly observed personally, and that happened within the time frame you've known the person. Simply relating a story you heard from someone else before you met the person will have no value to the people evaluating the application.
• Organize your examples into specific traits that you believe demonstrate why the person should be pardoned. Stick to three or four traits for which you have the strongest support to use in your letter.

• Your descriptions should be detailed and include as many relevant facts as possible, but you may need to check either with the person for whom you're writing the letter or against other records to make sure the facts you're listing are correct.
• For example, if you're writing a pardon letter for someone who previously worked under your supervision, you should include the specific dates that person worked with you and the reason they separated from the company. You may need to get the dates from the human resources department of the company where you both worked if you're unsure.

Drafting Your Letter

• In some cases, the board considering pardon applications prefers a particular form be used. If you must use a particular form to provide your recommendation, the person seeking the pardon should provide it to you.
• For example, if the person is applying for a pardon from the president for a federal crime, the federal pardon attorney prefers if you use the official affidavit form. However, you also can submit a letter provided it contains adequate identification and contact information. [4] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source[5] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source
• Standard affidavit forms also are preferred in many states such as California. [6] X Research source

• You should be able to find a template you can use within your word processing application. However, as a general rule, you should make sure the text of your letter is left-justified and single spaced, with a double space between paragraphs. [7] X Research source

• Even though you may be giving the letter to the person seeking a pardon so they may file it with the rest of the application, you should include the address of the committee or office reviewing the application at the top of the letter, as though you were sending it directly to them.
• Find out if you should write the letter to a specific individual or to a group. In state pardon cases, you can simply address your letter to the state pardon board, but be sure to use the board's official title.
• If you are expected to address the letter to an individual, make sure you get their name and title correct and know what form of address to use (Mr., Ms., Your Honor, etc.) [8] X Research source

• State clearly and succinctly that you are writing to support the person's application for a pardon.
• You also should indicate that you have knowledge and understanding of the criminal conviction for which the person is seeking a pardon. [9] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source
• Essentially, your first paragraph should get straight to the point of who you are and why you are writing the letter. [10] X Research source If you prefer, you can also include a sentence that summarizes the reasons you're writing or the points you plan to cover in your letter. This can be especially helpful if your letter is more than a page or two.

• Your occupation may have relevance even if you aren't writing the letter within your professional capacity, but you must separate what you do from how you know the person. For example, you might be a lawyer, but if you've never worked with the person professionally as their attorney, your letter should indicate that.
• Let the board or committee know how long you've known the person, and in what capacity. For example, you might have been the person's supervisor at work for five years.
• Establish your connection to the person seeking a pardon, and use that connection to explain why you believe the person should be granted a pardon. [11] X Research source Your detailed examples that you relate in the rest of the letter will support the points you make here.

• Make sure the reasons and examples you list relate to the capacity in which you know the person. For example, if you have been the person's neighbor for 20 years, you may have knowledge of their lifestyle and home life, but you probably don't know anything about their work or professional reputation.
• Similarly, your recommendation should relate to the person's reasons for seeking a pardon. If the person is seeking a pardon because of their difficulty finding work, your observations as a former supervisor could potentially be of great benefit to the application.
• It also may be important to include information about the conviction. If you've talked to the person seeking a pardon about the conviction and can relate that they feel remorse and has changed since then, these details can be of benefit.
• Try to keep one reason or example as the focus of each paragraph, rather than having one paragraph with a laundry list of reasons.
• When you've finished the body, include a concluding paragraph that summarizes everything you've said and restates that you believe the person is a good candidate for a pardon and that you believe their application should be granted. [12] X Research source

• You should leave at least four lines to sign your name before you type it. [13] X Research source However, you may want to leave more space if you have a particularly large signature.
• Make sure you include accurate contact information, since the committee or board evaluating the application may want to contact you about your letter or ask you further questions. [14] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source

Submitting Your Letter

• The attorney has legal knowledge of both the person's conviction and the pardon process, and can make sure you're not inadvertently saying anything that could hurt, rather than help, the person's application.
• Even if the person seeking a pardon isn't represented by an attorney, you might consider letting someone else read your letter before you sign it to make sure it's free of any grammar and spelling errors, and that the letter as a whole flows and makes sense. [15] X Research source

• For example, if you are writing a character reference for someone seeking a presidential pardon for a federal crime, the signature must be witnessed by a notary public. [16] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source
• A notary public will check your government-issued photo identification and verify that you are the person signing the letter. They also will confirm that you are signing the letter voluntarily and with knowledge of its contents. [17] X Trustworthy Source American Society of Notaries Non-profit organization providing education, training, and supplies to notaries in the United States. Go to source

• For federal pardons, the person seeking the pardon must submit your letter at the same time they submit all other materials related to the pardon petition. [18] X Trustworthy Source United States Department of Justice Official website of the U.S. Department of Justice Go to source

Sample Letter and Things to Include and Avoid

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1. ↑http://koehlerlaw.net/other-offenses/presidential-pardons/
2. ↑http://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardon-information-and-instructions
3. ↑http://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardon-information-and-instructions
4. ↑http://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardon-information-and-instructions
5. ↑http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/pardon/legacy/2010/03/26/pardon_form.pdf
6. ↑http://www.silicon-valley.com/pardonme/12A.Affi.shtml
7. ↑http://www.candoclemency.com/tips-on-writing-to-the-pardon-attorney-or-president/
8. ↑http://www.candoclemency.com/tips-on-writing-to-the-pardon-attorney-or-president/
9. ↑http://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardon-information-and-instructions

1. ↑http://www.candoclemency.com/tips-on-writing-to-the-pardon-attorney-or-president/
2. ↑http://www.candoclemency.com/tips-on-writing-to-the-pardon-attorney-or-president/
3. ↑http://www.candoclemency.com/tips-on-writing-to-the-pardon-attorney-or-president/
4. ↑http://www.candoclemency.com/tips-on-writing-to-the-pardon-attorney-or-president/
5. ↑http://www.justice.gov/pardon/privacy-statement-pardons
6. ↑http://www.candoclemency.com/tips-on-writing-to-the-pardon-attorney-or-president/
7. ↑http://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardon-information-and-instructions
8. ↑https://www.asnnotary.org/?form=whatisnotary
9. ↑http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/pardon/legacy/2010/03/26/pardon_form.pdf

About This Article

This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 234,724 times.

The requirements for a support letter for a pardon application can vary depending on where you are, but in general your aim is to provide examples of the person's behavior to back up their request for a pardon. First, address your letter to the correct individual or board considering the case, such as your state’s pardon board. In your first paragraph, explain who you are and what your relationship is to the person requesting the pardon. You also need to state clearly that you're aware of the crime they have committed. For the main body of your letter, provide examples that support the reason why the person is asking for a pardon. For example, you may talk about their achievements at work if they’re seeking a pardon to make it possible to find employment. Finish your letter by printing your name and signing it after you’ve printed it out. Once your letter is complete, give it to the person who's requesting the pardon or their attorney so they can submit it with the rest of the documentation. For tips from our Legal co-author on what to avoid when writing a pardon letter, keep reading!

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