Clemency board delays ruling on Jeffrey Reinhardt, asks prosecutor for victim-notification letter

The Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board on Sept. 11 continued a decision on Jeffrey Reinhardt’s petition for pardon and asked the Pierce County prosecutor to provide a written account of victim-notification efforts under RCW 9.94.885(4).

"What I'm gonna ask is that you or your office provide us a letter regarding the efforts that the victim advocate or and or anybody in your office made, to make reasonable efforts, to be in compliance with, subsection 4 of that statute," Board Chair Raymond Delas Reyes said, asking for the letter to arrive within four weeks. The board said it will consider that letter at its December quarterly hearings before deliberating and voting.

Chair Delas Reyes framed the request as a routine evidentiary step: the board said it wants a "full and complete file" before making any recommendation to the governor. The board emphasized that its recommendation is advisory only and that the governor retains final authority.

The request follows testimony from Pierce County prosecutor Robin Sand, who told the board she had the office's support for a pardon but acknowledged she could not confirm how the victims were informed at the time. The board's request narrows the record to a specific statutory compliance question rather than resolving the merits at the hearing.

Next steps: Pierce County's prosecution team agreed to provide the requested letter; the board will continue the petition at its December quarterly meeting and then place a motion to recommend granting or denying the pardon once the file is complete.