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Pardon grants Brainerd woman new hope

On Dec. 17, the state of Minnesota granted Katie McCormick a pardon that clears a 10-year-old felony and gives her a fresh start in 2026.
Supported by letters including one from the victim, McCormick demonstrated rehabilitation with a decade of sobriety, volunteering with Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project and AmeriCorps at Lighthouse Beginnings, which the Clemency Review Commission considered.
Her 2016 conviction involved a felony from a decade ago and an in-jail assault, leading to repeated denials on background checks for jobs and housing applications.
The pardon seals Katie McCormick's records and removes most collateral consequences, easing her struggle as a single mother and enabling work in restorative justice and sentencing guideline reform.
Changes to the clemency process led to 279 applicants in 2024 and 120 pardons and 12 commutations from July 2024–July 2025, officials including Carli Stark said.

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Pardon grants Brainerd woman new hope

BRAINERD, Minn. — The new year comes with a newly clean slate for one Brainerd woman. Katie McCormick begins 2026 with a fresh start of her own after a pardon from the state of Minnesota for a 10-year-old felony conviction. “I have worked so hard for this,” McCormick said during an interview on Dec. 31. The pardon means she’s free of longstanding obstacles that impacted so many facets of her life — no felonies that will come up on background che…

2 days ago·Cherokee County, United States

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