Gov. Quinn Approves 20, Denies 48 Clemency Petitions

CHICAGO (STMW) - Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday approved 20 and denied 48 clemency petitions.

The 68 clemency petitions acted upon by Gov. Quinn are from the October 2003, January 2004, April 2004 and July 2004 dockets, a release from the governor's office said.

Each person granted clemency has recently undergone a criminal background check through the Illinois State Police's Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS).

Since taking office, Gov. Quinn has acted on 810 clemency petitions. He has granted 317 pardons, authorized eight people who had already received pardons to seek expungement of their convictions, granted one commutation and denied 425 petitions, the release said.

The action is aimed at ending a massive backlog of nearly 2,500 cases that built up during the previous administration, the release said.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)