Governor's Pardon Lawyer in Philadelphia County.

Not since June 11, 2024. Act 36 of 2023 added 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122(a.1), which makes expungement of a pardoned conviction automatic — the Board of Pardons transmits pardoned cases to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts quarterly, the AOPC forwards them to the county court, and that court orders the expungement without any petition from you. Because it moves on a quarterly cycle, expect a real lag between the pardon and the record actually clearing.

Plan in years, not months. Application preparation, merit-review screening, the wait for a public hearing date, the Board's vote, and the Governor's discretionary decision each add time, and the automatic expungement that follows arrives on the AOPC's quarterly cycle after that. Certain non-violent small-amount marijuana convictions qualify for the Board's expedited screening track.

Not automatically. A pardon clears the conviction and, since June 2024, triggers automatic expungement of it, but firearm eligibility under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6105 and federal law is a separate analysis that depends on the specific offense and the terms of the pardon. Ask about this specifically before you rely on it.

Applications that clear merit review are scheduled for a public hearing in Harrisburg, and the applicant's own testimony is usually the most persuasive part of the record. Victims and objectors may also be heard. We prepare you for the questions the Board actually asks rather than sending you in cold.

Yes, but generally each conviction needs its own application, and each granted pardon then triggers its own automatic expungement under § 9122(a.1). If you have several old cases — sometimes across different counties — we sequence them rather than filing everything blindly at once.

No. Expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 destroys eligible non-convictions, ARD dispositions, and old summary offenses; Clean Slate limits public access to certain misdemeanor convictions. A pardon is the only route for a conviction that neither of those reaches — most felonies and many repeat-offense records.

Possibly. The Board of Pardons maintains an expedited review track for certain non-violent, small-amount marijuana possession convictions, and Philadelphia's older dockets contain a high volume of exactly those cases. Expedited review shortens the initial screening stage; it does not skip the Board's vote or the Governor's discretionary decision.

Only for the public hearing, if your application is scheduled for one after merit review. Everything else — records collection from the First Judicial District, the application, supporting documentation — we handle remotely. Board hearings are held in Harrisburg.

Generally each conviction requires its own pardon application, and each granted pardon then triggers its own automatic expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122(a.1). With multi-docket Philadelphia records we sequence the applications and prioritize the conviction that is actually causing your licensing or employment problem.

A pardon clears the conviction and triggers automatic expungement of it, which resolves the background-check problem. Firearm eligibility itself is a separate question under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6105 and federal law, and it does not follow automatically from a pardon.