{"id":40,"date":"2025-04-24T21:26:36","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T21:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illinoispardonlawyer.com\/?p=40"},"modified":"2025-04-23T01:20:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T01:20:40","slug":"must-i-appear-at-a-hearig-to-receive-a-pardon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/illinoispardonlawyer.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/24\/must-i-appear-at-a-hearig-to-receive-a-pardon\/","title":{"rendered":"MUST I APPEAR AT A HEARING TO RECEIVE A PARDON?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is no.  But it may be in your best interests to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you file a petition for a pardon, you may request a hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board at that time. Hearings are held four times a year in either Chicago or Springfield. The hearing gives you an opportunity to present witnesses on your behalf and show why you deserve a pardon.  A hearing also gives the Board an opportunity to put a face with a name and ask any questions they might have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you wish to apply for a pardon, consider hiring an attorney.  An attorney can help prepare your petition. You will need to include a personal history with your petition. An attorney can help tell your story in a compelling way as well as helping you to avoid common pitfalls. For example, it is extremely important to take responsibility for what happened in the past.  Some petitioners do not realize when they sound like they are blaming others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An attorney can also help prepare you and your witnesses for hearing.  At hearing, you will need to come across as pleasant and sincere in your responses as possible. Losing your temper or rolling your eyes in dismay could backfire badly.  Some clients are unaware of how their facial expressions could be misinterpreted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before appearing at hearing, you will need to consider the following: Are there likely to be any witnesses appearing to contest your petition?  Do you clearly recall what happened?  Can you answer questions about the case without getting frustrated?  Are you able to accept responsibility for what happened even if you feel you were unfairly accused?  An attorney can help you deal with these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have questions about executive clemency, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The answer is no.  But it may be in your best interests to do so. When you file a petition for a pardon, you may request a hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board at that time. Hearings are held four times a year in either Chicago or Springfield. The hearing gives you an opportunity … Continue reading MUST I APPEAR AT A HEARING TO RECEIVE A PARDON?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nMUST I APPEAR AT A HEARING TO RECEIVE A PARDON? - Illinois Pardon Lawyer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how appearing at a hearing can help you petition for a pardon in Illinois.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/illinoispardonlawyer.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/24\/must-i-appear-at-a-hearig-to-receive-a-pardon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MUST I APPEAR AT A HEARING TO RECEIVE A PARDON? 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