On the same day the Supreme Court signed off on two of Governor Gavin Newsom’s clemency recommendation requests, the Governor sent the court three more. Court approval is a state constitutional prerequisite to Newsom’s grant of a pardon or sentence commutation to those convicted of multiple felonies.
The latest requests — all for pardons — are for Brenda Ibanez, Gabriel Garcia, and Shannon Thomas-Bland. The Governor’s cover letters to the court for the three do not disclose the nature of their multiple felonies. On two prior occasions, he did specify what the prior felonies were.
Following its policy, the court is apparently keeping confidential the documents Newsom sent along with his requests.