Gavin Newsom, governor of California, speaks during a news conference in Sacramento, California, U.S., on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.
On Monday, which was Veterans Day, Gov. Gavin Newsom pardoned five veterans whom his office said were convicted of robbery and drug charges decades ago. Two of those veterans have San Diego connections.
Former Marine U.S. Marine Marcus Page
Marcus Page is a former U.S. Marine. In 1994, he was sentenced to three years probation and 240 days in jail in San Diego County for the transport or sale of a controlled substance, according to the office of the governor.
In 2018, the San Diego Superior Court granted Page a Certificate of Rehabilitation on evidence that he had been living an upright life. As of Nov. 11, Page has been pardoned.
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Former Marine U.S. Marine Brian Tinney
Veteran Brian Tinney was a U.S. Marine who was also sentenced in 1994. He was given five years probation and 90 days in jail for grand theft of property. Two years later on July 11, 1996, a judge revoked Tinney's probation and the court sentenced him to a concurrent term of two years in prison for illegal gun possession, according to the governor's office.
Also in 2018, the San Diego Superior Court granted Tinney a Certificate of Rehabilitation on evidence that he had been living an upright life. Through that certificate, the court recommended he was granted a pardon. The Board of Parole Hearings looked over Tinnney's pardon application, and he was recommended a pardon grant. The California Supreme Court also recommended him a pardon grant. The California Constitution requires that pardon for cases in which the applicant has been convicted of more felonies than one.
Tinney was pardoned on Nov. 11.
The office of the governor said that the act of clemency for both Page and Tinney does not minimize or forgive their actions or harm caused, but rather recognizes the work both men have done since then to transform themselves and their past periods of service in the Navy.
The California Constitution allows the governor the authority to grant executive clemency through a pardon, commutation or reprieve. Newsom sees clemency as an important part of the criminal justice system, according to the governor's office.
