Clemency board recommends commutation in previously heard December 2025 matter

The Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board on March 12 recommended commutation for a petition the panel originally considered in December 2025, voting 3–1 to forward the recommendation to the governor.

Board members first clarified that Chair Raymond Delas Reyes had earlier recused himself from the matter; after additional deliberation, Board Member Aline Flower urged mercy and moved that the board recommend commutation. Vice Chair Doug Baldwin Jr. seconded the motion, saying the petitioner had demonstrated rehabilitation. The motion passed by majority vote, and the board confirmed the action is only a recommendation to the governor, who has final authority.

The motion followed an earlier procedural vote on the same petition. That earlier motion to deny the petition failed, leaving the floor open for a motion to recommend commutation. In debate, members weighed the petitioner’s post‑incarceration conduct and community contributions against the seriousness of the original offense and victims’ concerns.

By rule the board’s recommendation will be transmitted to the governor’s office for review and final decision. No vote tally of individual members was recorded in a manner that the board made public beyond the 3–1 margin on the commutation recommendation.