I guess the guy who tried to get a pardon for the traffic ticket didn't realize that a pardon doesn't expunge your record it just lets a person out or prision or frees them from punishment. Here is the article.
February 6, 2012
In all, 39 people were denied pardons by Brownback last year; no pardons were granted, according to letters from the governor’s office to pardon applicants. The Kansas Prison Review Board, which reviews pardons before sending them to the governor, denied a Journal-World open records request for the full pardon applications, citing an exemption in the Kansas Open Records Act.
One of the denied pardon applicants, Ronnie Rhodes, was convicted of a 1981 murder in Wichita. He claims he’s innocent. His case has been taken up by a variety of advocates, including a Washburn University School of Law class run by Kansas attorney Rebecca Woodman. Rhodes had exhausted his appeals, and possible DNA evidence from the crime couldn’t be located for testing. Rhodes’ application was denied, but Woodman said attorneys have resubmitted a pardon application that includes the findings of an extensive investigation.
For Rhodes, a pardon, sometimes referred to as clemency, is likely the last option, and Woodman said she hopes the governor takes a serious look at Rhodes’ case. “Clemency is intended to be the fail-safe in the criminal justice system,” Woodman said. Rhodes is joined by nine others denied pardons who were convicted of murder or manslaughter charges, as well as 11 with sex offense convictions.
Then there’s Eddie Mendia, a 63-year-old Wichita man who for years has been fighting a 2008 right-of-way traffic ticket given in Wellsville. Mendia, who operates the Wichita-based nonprofit Homeless Search Corp., says he was pulled over not because of a traffic violation, but because of his Mexican heritage. “My evidence didn’t matter at all,” Mendia said of his trial that resulted in a conviction.
The Kansas Constitution gives the governor sole authority to issue pardons, which do not erase a person’s conviction but free him or her from prison or parole obligations.
Pardons are uncommon in Kansas. Former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius issued only one pardon during her six years as governor. Gov. Mark Parkinson, Sebelius’s successor, issued four, all related to decades-old cases.
Here are the Applicants and sopme of the Crimes they are trying to get pardons for:
| Applicant's name | Listed on DOC website? | Earliest Release Date | Date of pardon denial | offense 1 | Offense 2 | Offense 3 | |||||||
| Johnson, Barbara L. | N | NA | |||||||||||
| Mendia, Eddie | N | Never served prison time | Traffic ticket, according to Mendia | ||||||||||
| Amos, Dawn Marie | Arson, escaped from custody, serving in absentia | Serving in absentia | 5/17/2011 | ||||||||||
| Sloan, Jonathen | Y | Discharged 4/10/2008 | 5/13/2011 | Poss. anhydrous ammonia in unapproved container, 2001, Harvey | Use of ammonia for controlled substance, 2006, Reno | ||||||||
| Brinkman, Pamela | Y | Released, 10/28/02 | 5/4/2011 | Sexual exploitation of child: possible visual child less than 16, 1996, Leavenworth (2 counts) | |||||||||
| Heathcock, Phillip | N | NA | |||||||||||
| Thomasson, James | N | NA | |||||||||||
| Whitewolf, Marvin | N | NA | |||||||||||
| Bloom, Jessica | N | NA | |||||||||||
| Piland, Dallas | Y | Paroled 2/10/2011 | 5/4/2011 | Ag. assault, 2002, Sedgwick (2 counts) | Involuntary manslaughter DUI or drugs, 1997, Sedgwick | ||||||||
| Rhodes, Ronald | Y | 8/1/2012 | 5/4/2011 | Ag. battery, 1979, Sedgwick | Murder (1st degree), 1981, Sedgwick | ||||||||
| Janes, David | y | Paroled 1/20/2011 | 5/4/2011 | Ag. burglary, 2007, Shawnee | Theft between 1k and 25k (2 counts), 2007, Shawnee | ||||||||
| Hooks, Rodney | y | 7/24/2035 | 5/13/2011 | Ag. Burglary,1990, Sedgwick | Aiding Ag. Kidnapping, 1990, Sedgwick (2 counts) | ||||||||
| Toro, Antonio | Y | 9/23/2016 | 5/13/2011 | Ag. indecent liberties between age 14 and 16, 2007, Shawnee (2 counts) | |||||||||
| Clifton, Michael | Y | 7/29/2018 | 5/24/2011 | Ag. indecent liberties w/ child, 1994, Sedgwick | Ag. criminal sodomy, 1994, Sedgwick | Ag. criminal sodomy child, 1996, Sedgwick | |||||||
| Smith, Ronnie A. | Y | 3/1/2016 | 5/4/2011 | Ag. juvenile delinquency, 1974, Johnson | Arson, 1978, Johnson | Murder (2nd degree), 1978, Johnson | |||||||
| Scales, Eddie | Y | 9/1/2018 | 5/4/2011 | Ag. robbery, 1989, Sedgwick | Theft, 1989, Sedgwick | Robbery, 1989, Sedgwick | |||||||
| Horn, Joshua | y | 10/30/2019 | 5/4/2011 | Ag. sodomy child less than 14, 2006, Butler | |||||||||
| Nixon, Grant | Y | Life | 12/22/2011 | Ag. sodomy, 2009, Montgomery | Ag. indecent solicitation of child, 2009, Montgomery | Electronic solicitation, 2009, Montgomery | |||||||
| Graham, Lisa | Y | Parole, 7/2/09 | 5/13/2011 | Attempted Murder, 1999, Saline (2 counts) | |||||||||
| Cook, Kenneth | y | 2/1/2012 | 5/24/2011 | Burglary, 1985, Wyandotte | Robbery, 1985, Shawnee | Murder (2nd degree), 1992, Shawnee | |||||||
| Slaughter, Terry | Y | Discharged 9/24/2008 | 5/4/2011 | Criminal deprivation of a motor vehicle, 2000, Pratt | Worthless check less than $500, 2005, Pratt | Drug possession, 2007, Pratt | |||||||
| Gilliam, Garette | y | Released 10/4/2011 | 7/26/2011 | Domestic battery, 2008, Riley | Criminal restraint, 2008, Riley | Battery, 2008, Riley | |||||||
| Callaway, Charles | Y | Paroled 8/20/2010 | 7/25/2011 | Drug possession, 1995, Seward | Manufacturing unlawful substance, 1995, Seward | Drug possession within 1,000 feet school, 1995 (2 counts), Seward | |||||||
| Sturgeon, Frank | Y | Paroled 8/29/2011 | 12/12/2011 | Drug possession, 2002, Kiowa | Drug paraphernalia, 2002, Kiowa | ||||||||
| Collins, Chase | y | 6/1/2014 | 7/25/2011 | Indecent solicitation of a child between 14 and 16, 2001, Shawnee (2 counts) | Battery on a mental health employee, 2006, Pawnee (2 counts) | ||||||||
| Siesener, Robert | Y | Paroled 1/11/2012 | 5/4/2001 | Kidnapping conspiracy, 2001, Johnson (2 counts) | |||||||||
| Young, Chano | Y | 3/25/2025 | 5/4/2011 | Murder (1st degree), 1995, Geary (2 counts) | |||||||||
| Dean, Deon | y | Life | 5/13/2011 | Murder (1st degree), 1998, Finney | Criminal Threat, Finney, 1996 | Ag. Robbery, 1998, Finney | |||||||
| Jamerson, James | y | 6/23/2022 | 5/13/2011 | Murder (2nd degree), 2001, Shawnee | Ag. robbery, 2001, Shawnee (2 counts) | ||||||||
| Margrave, Darryl | Y | 11/28/2016 | 5/4/2011 | Rape child less than 14, 2002, Wyandotte (3 counts) | Ag. sodomy, 2002, Wyandotte | Ag. indecent liberties fondling, 2002, Wyandotte (4 counts) | |||||||
| Velos-Garica, Richard | Y | 4/4/2017 | 5/4/2011 | Rape child less than 14, 2007, Nemaha | |||||||||
| Esquivel, Adan | y | 8/22/2012 | 5/4/2011 | Rape<14, 1998, Sedgwick (2 counts) | |||||||||
| Clark, Ulysses | Y | 2/26/2017 | 12/22/2011 | Solicitation for murder, 2008, Geary | Drug sales, 2008, Geary | Perjury, 2009, Geary | |||||||
| Ransom, Robert | Y | Paroled 7/19/2011 | 5/4/2011 | Voluntary manslaughter, 2004, Shawnee | Criminal possession of a firearm, 2004, Shawnee | ||||||||
| Boomershine, Billie | Y | 3/3/2013 | 5/4/2011 | Aggravated Kidnapping, 1998, Montgomery | Aggravated Burglary, 1998, Montgomery | ||||||||
| Brooks, Evelyn | Y | Paroled, 1/19/12 | 5/4/2011 | Involuntary manslaughter DUI or drugs, 2009, Shawnee | |||||||||
| Stewart, Matthew M. | No picture | Released 7/23/2003 | Ag. indecent liberties w/ a child, 2002, Sedgwick | ||||||||||
| Thompson, Kevin H. | Y | Released 8/25/2010 | 5/4/2011 | 4th DUI, 2008,Sedgwick |
