Lying In writing a pardon letter, you are under penalty of perjury, so make sure your letter is completely true. This means do not lie about your identity or your relationship to the person, and do not make up stories about them. Examples: ✗ “My name is Carl Hudgens and I’m the prosecutor that helped convict Edward Jones. I’ve changed my mind and think he should be pardoned… I greatly respect Ed and have heard he has been doing great work volunteering with homeless youth full-time.” ✓ “My name is Carl Hudgens and I’m a small business owner and family friend of Edward Jones… I’ve seen him change for the better since his conviction. He’s working on himself and has even helped others work on themselves.” Writing as just a friend (with incongruent reasoning) Your relationship to the person can carry some weight if it’s related to the reasons they’d like to be pardoned. For example, if the reason for pardoning has to do with the person’s employment opportunities, it’s best if someone they’ve worked with or under writes the letter. Examples: ✗ “We’ve been best friends since middle school and I think he really wants to start looking for a real job now.” ✓ “He worked at my restaurant for over ten years, working his way up from busboy to server to manager. I was devastated at his resignation, but I know he’s more than capable of achieving his dream of getting a law degree and practicing as a civil attorney.” Poor reasoning Some reasons for pardoning are better than others. Avoid asking that they be pardoned to repair their reputation or to reinstate particular rights and focus on the person’s future aspirations (like how a pardon would open up employment opportunities). Examples: ✗ “He should be pardoned because his name is tarnished in this town and he really wants to be able to buy guns.” ✓ “I ask for him to be pardoned so he can have a better chance at getting a college scholarship and, upon graduating, open his own business so he can serve his community.” Trying to claim their innocence The person you’re writing the letter for has already been convicted, so avoid trying to convince the reader of their innocence because it will not help your case. Examples: ✗ “There’s no way he could have stolen the car that night anyway because he and I were watching a movie at my house! Anyway…” ✓ “Since his conviction, I’ve seen him change as a person for the better. He’s more self reflective, cordial, and digilent with his work.” Using incorrect titles Using the wrong titles looks unprofessional and will not help your case. Look up the person you’re writing to and make sure to get their official title correct. If you are writing to a general department, use the full title of the department. Examples: ✗ “Dear State Prison Pardoning People,” ✓ “Dear Texas State Board of Pardons and Parole,” Using poor spelling, grammar, and formatting Proofread your letter more than a few times to make sure it looks professional and reads in a clear manner. Avoid slang, odd phrasings, and shortened text-lingo. Use a standard black font (like Times New Roman or Arial) and 12pt. typeface with adequate spacing between paragraphs for ease of reading. Examples: ✗ “I ain’t looking to say he’s a angel or nothing, I just think it’s ab tiem for him to be able to move on w/ his life adn get a reel good job.” ✓ “He’s a respectable man who has learned his lessons and paid his dues. He deserves to be able to put his past behind him and move on to do greater things for himself and his family.” Omitting the notary This is imperative to ensure your identity–all letters not signed in front of a notary will be thrown out or dismissed. * Go to http://www.notaryrotary.com/agent/find_a_notary.asp to find a notary near you. * Some notaries offer online services, but this is not recommended for pardoning letters.