New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Rutgers lecturer Elie Honig pose with Honig’s students from the New Jersey Clemency Internship, former Governor Jim McGreevey and Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway after an event at Winants Hall to announce 87 pardons and six commutations on April 8, 2025.
John Munson/Rutgers University
When Gov. Phil Murphy launched his bipartisan-backed Clemency Initiative in June 2024 to expedite pardons and commutations for criminal offenders, [Elie] Honig saw an opportunity to benefit Rutgers students, the state and a backlog of more than 1,000 applicants. He reached out to his former mentee and current chair of Murphy’s Clemency Advisory Board, Justin Dews, with a proposition. Click the link above to read the entire article, published April 9, in Rutgers Today.
