California-Pardon

The governor’s constitutional power to pardon first felony offenders is unlimited, and he is authorized but not required to consult with the parole board.  In cases where an applicant has more than one felony conviction, the constitution provides that a pardon may not issue except upon the affirmative recommendation of four supreme court justices, and in such cases he is by statute required to consult with the parole board.  A judicial certificate of rehabilitation is ordinarily the first step in the pardon process, and the parole board must make a recommendation to the governor within one year of receiving a certificate.  Pardon restores civil rights and removes occupational bars but does not expunge record and may be used as predicate.  A pardon must specifically restore firearms rights.  Under the most recent governors, a regular pardoning practice has been reestablished after a decade of neglect, but no data is available on the grant rate (measured by number of certificates received).