GOVERNOR ISSUES PARDONS vs

GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER TODAY (YESTERDAY) ANNOUNCED HIS DECISION TO PARDON 3 INDIVIDUALS WHO COMMITTED NON-VIOLENT CRIMES DECADES AGO, AND SINCE THAT TIME HAVE BECOME CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. AMONG THEM IS ALEC WEBSTER OF SANTA CRUZ. IN 1975 AT THE AGE OF 24, WEBSTER WAS CONVICTED OF ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA FOR SALE AND ONE COUNT OF TRANSPORTATION/SALE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. HE SERVED APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS, EIGHT MONTHS ON PROBATION. SINCE HIS DISCHARGE FROM PROBATION MORE THAN 26 YEARS AGO, WEBSTER HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH HE HAS LIVED FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS THROUGH HIS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND EXTENSIVE VOLUNTEER AND PHILANTHROPIC ACTIVITIES.
THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION EMPOWERS THE GOVERNOR TO GRANT EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY, INCLUDING PARDONS, AT HIS DISCRETION AND ON CONDITIONS HE DEEMS PROPER. PARDONS FORGIVE A CRIME BUT DO NOT ERASE A CONVICTION. TO DATE GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER HAS ISSUED THREE PARDONS, GOVERNOR DAVIS GAVE NONE, GOVERNOR WILSON PARDONED 13, GOVERNOR DEUKMEJIAN PARDONED 328 PEOPLE, GOVERNOR BROWN PARDONED 403, AND GOVERNOR REAGAN PARDONED 575 INDIVIDUALS