Abstract
Imagine you have just pled guilty to a felony offense in Missouri. While the court may inform you of certain rights that will be lost, additional rights remain unmentioned. Suddenly, you find yourself stripped of fundamental liberties such as voting, serving on a jury, holding public office, and owning firearms. Additionally, the right to a trial by jury, the assistance of a lawyer at trial, and protection against self-incrimination have been forfeited. In this bleak scenario, a glimmer of hope emerges: the possibility of a gubernatorial pardon. This pardon represents a chance at redemption, potentially restoring all the rights you once held. It is a tantalizing prospect—the opportunity to become a “new man” in the eyes of the law.
Recommended Citation
Anna Claire Parker,
The Illusion of Redemption: Examining Gubernatorial Pardons, Collateral Consequences, and the Ineligibility for Public Office in Missouri,
90 Mo. L. Rev.
(2025)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/mlr/vol90/iss3/18