Tears, redemption, and controversy: Inside Gov. Murphy’s historic clemency wave

🔴 Gov. Murphy issues 40 new pardons
🔴 Most had been incarcerated for drug-related offenses
🔴 Murphy also issued pardons in aggravated assault and robbery cases

Gov. Phil Murphy has pardoned dozens of individuals who had served prison sentences or convicted of felonies.

The 40 people who received clemency were no longer behind bars and had completed the requirements of their parole. Nobody was sprung from behind bars in this round of clemency, according to the governor's office, which said Murphy's initiative is "making history" after "170 pardons and commutations to date — more than the combined total of New Jersey’s governors over the last 30 years."

"As ‘The State for Second Chances,’ we pride ourselves on recognizing the power of redemption,” Murphy said in a statement. "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."

Clourer Grady, who was convicted of drug possession charges in the late 1980s, was among those who was granted a full pardon by Murphy. Grady is now 72 and says it took her incarceration to get her life back on track.

"Any time I think about receiving a pardon, I start to cry," Grady said. "After four years of attempting to clear my record, to hear the Governor tell me that he is signing into effect a FULL PARDON with my name on it is a true blessing."

Grady went on to become a certified drug and alcohol counselor for Trinitas Regional Medical Center, where she focused on reconnecting adults in recovery with their children and families. Grady retired in 2017.

Gov. Phil Murphy

Most had been incarcerated for drug-related offenses

Murphy's latest round of pardons involves mostly drug crimes, but also convictions for robbery and aggravated assault.

The oldest case granted a pardon dates back to 1972. Denise Reid was first convicted of drug-related offenses and then, over the next five years, had a series of shoplifting charges.

Since Murphy created the Clemency Advisory Board, more than 4,500 people have applied for pardons.

This latest round brings to more than 165 individuals whose clemency applications have been accepted.

Who received a pardon from Gov. Phil Murphy?

Among the people granted a pardon by Murphy:

❎ Cruz, Emily: possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1991; violation of probation, sentenced in 1998
Denis, Alain: receiving stolen property, sentenced in 1985; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1987; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1990; resisting arrest and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1990; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1991; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1991; violation of probation, sentenced in 1992; unlawful possession of a weapon, sentenced in 1992; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1999; possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a school zone and firearms regulatory violation, sentenced in 1996

❎ Granzow, Timothy: disorderly conduct, sentenced in 1998; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1999; violation of probation, sentenced in 1999; possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1999; possession of drug paraphernalia, sentenced in 1999; possession of drug paraphernalia, sentenced in 1999; theft, sentenced in 1998; theft, sentenced in 1999; distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 2010

❎ Hilaire, Patrice: local ordinance violations, sentenced in 2002; two counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 2006
Ibrahim, Mario: shoplifting, sentenced in 1995; robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon, sentenced in 1997; unlawful possession of a weapon, sentenced in 1997

❎ Kelsey, Linda: possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1975; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1977; shoplifting and two counts of possession of narcotics equipment, sentenced in 1987; possession of narcotics equipment, sentenced in 1989; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1989; possession of narcotics equipment, sentenced in 1989; distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1989; distribution of a controlled dangerous substance within a school zone, sentenced in 2016

❎ Lascala, Christopher: robbery, sentenced in 2013

❎ McAllister, Naquan: robbery, sentenced in 2008; distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 2009; theft, sentenced in 2011; local ordinance violations, sentenced in 2019

❎ Monserrate, Pedro: aggravated assault, sentenced in 2000; unlicensed entry, sentenced in 2005; defiant trespass, sentenced in 2005

❎ Reid, Denise: possession of narcotics equipment and a drug-related offense, sentenced in 1972; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1974; shoplifting, sentenced in 1974; robbery and committing an offense while armed, sentenced in 1975; shoplifting, sentenced in 1975; shoplifting, sentenced in 1975; shoplifting, sentenced in 1976; shoplifting, sentenced in 1977

❎ Sarappa, Joseph: robbery, sentenced in 1982

❎ Tursi, Matthew: receiving stolen property, sentenced in 2012; receiving stolen property, sentenced in 2012; possession of narcotics equipment, sentenced in 2012
Waller, Tanell: unlawful possession of a weapon, sentenced in 1996; possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance within a school zone, sentenced in 1998; possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance within a school zone and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1998; possession of drug paraphernalia, sentenced in 2002; wandering to obtain a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 2011; wandering to obtain a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 2011; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 2011

❎ Woolfolk, Richard: receiving stolen property, sentenced in 1998; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 1998; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, sentenced in 2000; possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance within a school zone, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance near a public facility, sentenced in 2001

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article should have said that none of the commutations were for people currently serving prison sentences.