California Gov. Jerry Brown issued a pardon to actor Robert Downey Jr for his 1996 felony convictions for drugs and weapons charges. Downey was arrested for speeding on the highway and when the police pulled him over, they found cocaine, heroine, and a loaded weapon in his car. Downey was on probation at the time and this violation sent him to prison for almost 1 yr. Downey lost his voting rights then. So, now fast forward to 2015 and Downey went to court and had a judge issue him a writ of rehabilitation because for more than 10 yrs. Downey has lived a crime and drug free life. He's one of the best come from behind Hollywood rehabilitation stories of all time.
I remember the 1990s when Downey kept getting arrested almost like weekly. And one day he broke into his neighbors house and was found sleeping in her son's bed. That's how drugged out he was. He went to the wrong house and his key wouldn't work so he broke in. That was a really sad time in his life.
So you might ask, why get a pardon when it doesn't erase your conviction? Well, if you receive a pardon, while it doesn't erase the conviction, it does restore your voting rights. Because as you may or may not know. Convicted felons lose their voting rights for all elections. So I am thinking that Robert Downey wants to vote in the upcoming Presidential election in 2016. I hope he continues to vote Democrat?
Gov. Brown has issued the most pardons out of any other Governor in the last 20 yrs. The state’s longest-serving governor has now issued 1,087 pardons, including 683 in the past five years and 404 during his first eight years in office from 1975-1983, according to his office.
Most of those pardoned Thursday were convicted of drug and property crimes, though three were convicted of arson, one of kidnapping and one of vehicular manslaughter. Three were convicted of assaults using deadly weapons and one of carjacking with a BB gun. Many are now residents of other states.
The hundreds of pardons Brown has issued in each of his four terms are typical — except for his three immediate predecessors. Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger granted 15, Democrat Gray Davis granted none, and Republican Pete Wilson granted 13.
Former Republican Gov. Ronald Reagan granted nearly 600, according to Brown’s office.
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