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Ohio Governors Expedited Pardon Project expands, adds three additional law schools

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On November 9, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that his Expedited Pardon Project, which was established in 2019 alongside the Moritz College of Law and the University of Akron School of Law, has now added three more Ohio law schools. 

The Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, University of Dayton School of Law, and the Ohio Justice & Policy Center in partnership with Univ. of Cincinnati College of Law, have now all joined as partners in DeWine's efforts to eliminate administrative hurdles and provide free one-on-one help for qualified citizens seeking legal absolution for past criminal offenses. 

“In Ohio, we are tough on crime, but we also recognize that certain mistakes shouldn’t forever haunt those who’ve paid their debt to society and have reformed their lives,” said Governor DeWine in a press release. “Although more than a dozen deserving citizens have been pardoned through this expedited process, we know that there are many other people out there who could qualify. By having more partners on board, we can reach more people who are ready for a fresh start.”

According to DeWine's office, 16 applicants have been pardoned with 86 others in various stages of the application process since the project's launch in 2019. 

The addition of the new law partners is possible due to $1 million in funding allotted in Ohio’s current operating budget by Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly. Each law partner, including the two law schools that worked to establish the program, will receive grant funding to hire additional faculty and staff to oversee the process of screening potential pardon candidates and providing free assistance to those who meet the project’s qualifications.

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