Governor Phil Murphy on Tuesday announced his third round of clemency actions, granting pardons to 40 individuals. With these actions, the Murphy administration has issued 169 clemency grants since the governor took office.
Murphy, who has framed New Jersey as “The State for Second Chances,” said the pardons reflect both a commitment to public safety and to providing opportunities for rehabilitation. “Extending this opportunity for a new beginning is one of the greatest responsibilities I hold as Governor – and one that I do not take lightly,” Murphy said in a statement.
Under the New Jersey Constitution, the governor has sole authority to grant pardons and commutations for state criminal convictions. In 2024, Murphy signed Executive Order No. 362, establishing the state’s first Clemency Advisory Board. Chaired by Bishop Joshua Rodriguez, the board reviews applications and makes recommendations to the governor.
Since then, the governor’s office has received more than 4,500 clemency applications. Criteria for expedited consideration include non-violent convictions with long periods of no justice system involvement, sentences reflecting excessive trial penalties, and cases involving domestic violence or trafficking victims convicted of crimes against their perpetrators.
Rodriguez, who chairs the advisory board, praised the latest actions. “Clemency is not about overlooking mistakes—it is about recognizing transformation, redemption, and the power of a second chance,” he said. He noted that Murphy has granted more pardons and commutations than all of New Jersey’s governors combined over the past three decades.
Among those pardoned is Clourer Grady, 72, who was convicted on drug-related charges in the early 1990s and served a short prison sentence. After completing treatment for substance use disorder, she worked for 17 years as a certified drug and alcohol counselor at Trinitas Regional Medical Center, where she ran a program to help adults in recovery reconnect with their families. Grady also earned a bachelor’s degree in 2014.
The full list of individuals pardoned includes cases involving drug possession and distribution, theft, weapons charges, and other offenses dating as far back as the 1970s.
This latest round of clemency actions is part of Murphy’s broader effort to expand access to pardons and commutations, a process he has sought to formalize through the advisory board created last year.