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Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Yes.

Gov. Tony Evers will only pardon people who meet the criteria of at least five years “off paper,” that is, five years since completing all confinement, extended supervision, parole and probation.

Evers’ three other main criteria for a pardon are the conviction taking place in Wisconsin, the person not being a sex offender and no new charges in any jurisdiction.

Wisconsin governors establish their own criteria for pardons — a power granted by the Wisconsin Constitution.

While the pardon does not expunge court records, it restores a person’s civil rights, including the rights to vote and hold public office. Voting rights are also restored after someone with a felony conviction has completed a sentence.

As of November 2023, Evers is the Wisconsin governor who has pardoned the most people: 1,111. The governor with the second largest number of pardons was Julius Heil (1939–43), with 943.

This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Wisconsin Legislative Council: Issue brief: Pardons

Gov. Tony Evers: Pardon information

Legislative Reference Bureau: Executive clemency power in Wisconsin

State of Wisconsin: Press Release: Gov. Evers grants 82 pardons, bringing total pardons granted to 1,111

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Jacob Alabab-Moser joined as Wisconsin Watch’s fact checker in September 2022, as part of the effort by The Gigafact Project in partnership with different state-level news outlets to combat misinformation in the 2022 midterm elections. Jacob has several years of experience as a fact checker and research assistant at a variety of organizations, including at The Gigafact Project. He holds a BA from Brown University and is pursuing a MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science.