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    Board of Pardons

    Hearing Schedule

    The Board of Pardons holds hearings to review and vote on the cases of applicants for clemency. All hearings are held virtually. 

    Types of hearings

    • Merit review: The Board completes a preliminary evaluation of applications. The Board votes on whether the applicant should move forward to a public hearing.

    • Public hearing: The Board reviews the cases of applicants and votes to decide whether an application should be recommended to receive clemency from the Governor.
    Watch the hearing live stream

    Agenda's will be posted about one week prior to the scheduled session

     

     

    AGENDA

    PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF PARDONS

    PUBLIC SESSION

     

    SEPTEMBER 10th, 2026, at 11:00 AM SESSION

    I. OPENING REMARKS - HONORABLE AUSTIN DAVIS, LIEUTENANT GOVERNORII. CASES TO BE HEARD BY THE BOARD

    1.  Roberto A. Montanez

    2. Joaquin R. Rodriguez

    III. RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
    IV. PUBLIC HEARING RECONVENES - PUBLIC VOTE ON CALENDAR CASES
    V. OLD BUSINESS

    Early Filing Request: Michael Rinaldi’s application was denied at the March 5th, 2026, Merit Review by a vote of 0-5. Mr. Rinaldi requests the Board to grant early filing of his next application.

    VI. NEW BUSINESS
    VII. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
    VIII. ADJOURNMENT

     

     

     

    Legal Ad's will be posted about one week prior to the scheduled session

     

    LEGAL ADS

    COMMONWEALTH OF PA

    BOARD OF PARDONS

     

     The following application of the person convicted in Philadelphia County will be heard by the Board of Pardons in a virtual session.

    Thursday, September 10, 2026 - Convening at 10:30 AM

    Joaquin R. Rodriguez (John Rivera)
    SCI - Camp Hill

    Roberto A. Montanez (Reynaldo Borgos)
    SCI - Phoenix

     

    Pursuant to 18 Pa. C.S. §9125 (a)(1), all questions relating to the criminal history record information associated with above applicants should be directed to the Board of Pardons office at bophearings@pa.gov or (717) 787-2596.

    2026 Session Calendar

    Please note: Scheduled sessions are subject to change as deemed necessary by the Board.

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    How to watch live hearings

    Hearings are streamed live on PAcast. The live stream will begin at the start of the hearing, typically 9 a.m. 

    What to expect as an applicant

    It’s important to come prepared to your Board of Pardons hearing. We recommend that applicants review our guide to the hearing process.

    Learn how to prepare

    Frequently asked questions

    The number of cases reviewed by the Board at each hearing varies.

    Merit reviews: These sessions include hundreds of cases. The Board votes on which of the cases presented have the merit to warrant a public hearing. Although hundreds of names are called, this session is shorter because there is no case discussion.

    Public hearings: Each hearing day is broken into two sessions of roughly 20 applicants. The Board generally reviews between 35 and 50 cases during each public hearing day. Over the span of three-day public hearings, the Board will review about 140 pardon cases.

    The Board of Pardons holds approximately six merit reviews and six public hearings a year. However, this is subject to the discretion of the Board.