SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown announced on Christmas Eve that he has granted 79 pardons to individuals who have completed their sentences and have been released from custody for more than a decade without further criminal activity. One of the announcements read as follows:
“Terry Jun Yasutake, a resident of California, has submitted to this office an application for executive clemency. He was sentenced on or about July 19, 1994, in the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Los Angeles, for the crime of burglary. He served three years probation. He was discharged on July 19, 1997, having completed his sentence.
“Terry Jun Yasutake has complied with the provisions of Sections 4852.01 to 4852.2, inclusive, of the Penal Code of California, which provide a procedure whereby persons may, after completion of their sentences, seek restoration of the rights of citizenship, and apply for a pardon.
“He has obtained from the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Los Angeles an order dated Dec. 5, 2002, evidencing that since his release from custody, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen. The court has recommended that he be granted a full pardon.
“By the laws of this state it is proper that I, as governor of the State of California, give testimony that, by completion of his sentence and good conduct in the community of his residence since his release, Terry Jun Yasutake has paid his debt to society and earned a full and unconditional pardon.”
Individuals who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply to the governor for a pardon, which may be granted to people who have demonstrated exemplary behavior following their conviction. A pardon will not be granted unless it has been earned. Obtaining a pardon is a distinct achievement based upon proof of a productive and law-abiding life following conviction.
When a pardon is granted, the California Department of Justice and the FBI are notified so that they may update their records on the applicant. The pardon is filed with the California Secretary of State’s Office and the Legislature, and is a public record.