Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles grants COE and dozens of pardons in expedited docket

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles on July 6 approved a certificate of employability and granted full, absolute pardons to a large group of applicants on its expedited docket.

Chair Rafaro Barry opened the session and described the board’s role under state statute, saying the panel would vote on each case at the end of individual deliberations. "The granting of a pardon is neither a finding of innocence nor an exoneration of your crimes," Barry said, and she warned applicants that removing records from public systems can take up to about 10 weeks and that the board cannot control third‑party internet listings.

Why it matters: The expedited docket is intended for cases that do not require victim outreach; successful applicants typically showed evidence of stable employment, completion of supervision, treatment or sobriety, and letters of support. Pardons can remove obstacles to employment, certification and licensure for people with past convictions, though they do not erase facts from third‑party databases or constitute declarations of innocence.

On a single COE before the panel, members moved to grant a certificate of employability to Ike Humphrey after noting a 2020 conviction for illegal possession of a weapon and current employment; the motion passed and the COE was granted.

The board then reviewed and voted on its expedited pardon docket. For each petitioner members summarized ages, convictions and rehabilitation steps before moving to grant pardons. Among the pardons the panel approved were John Martin Butler; Charles Richard Fenmore Jr.; Reginald Jones Jr.; Eric Shamari Moody; Justin Charles Roots; Caitlyn Brown; Christopher Lewis Kaban; Michael Henry; Andre Steven Howard; David Calaman; Edwin Medina Jr.; Daniel Pas/Moronic; Miguel Angel Guinones Jr.; Naisha Mel (see separate note below); Dana Marie Sims; Javon Devonte Watkins; Brandon Scott Bo; Peter Joseph Gold; Richard Glenn Jr.; Nana Janelle Lindsay; Ryan Michael Melody; Y. Naasia Moore; Robert Jir Williams; and many others listed on the expedited docket. In the typical sequence a board member moved that a named petitioner be granted a full and absolute pardon, other members recorded "I" votes, and the chair announced the pardon granted.

A small number of cases on the expedited list drew more discussion about sobriety, protective orders or employment stability, but most were resolved in favor of pardon at the table. In one expedited case the chair recorded a dissent: a board member noted an active protective order in one case and said they would vote "nay," but the majority granted the pardon.

What happens next: For applicants granted pardons, the board said record updates may take up to about 10 weeks; COE recipients will receive certificates by mail within roughly two weeks. Applicants who were denied or whose petitions were returned will receive written notice and reasons by email.

The board completed the expedited docket and then moved to its pre‑screen review docket for cases that could involve victim outreach or require full hearings.

Sources: Board remarks and roll calls at the July 6, 2026 hearing of the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles.