SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — President Joe Biden pardoned 39 people across the United States on Thursday — and a Santaquin woman was one of them.
Stevoni Wells Doyle, 47, was unconditionally pardoned of federal felony charges by Biden on Dec. 12. According to a U.S. White House briefing, Doyle pleaded guilty to non-violent offenses in her early twenties. She is now a licensed counselor specializing in substance use disorder and volunteers in her community.
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Courtesy of Stevoni Wells Doyle
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Courtesy of Stevoni Wells Doyle
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Courtesy of Stevoni Wells Doyle
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Courtesy of Stevoni Wells Doyle
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Courtesy of Stevoni Wells Doyle
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Courtesy of Stevoni Wells Doyle
“Community members describe her as a great mentor and a person of integrity,” the clemency briefing read.
According to the Associated Press, Doyle was once addicted to methamphetamine and served two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug possession and check forging charges. She was released from prison in 2006 and pursued bachelor’s and master’s degrees, leading her to where she works now as a social worker at a behavioral health center.
“I am truly humbled and thankful to announce that I have been granted a full unconditional presidential pardon. I am no longer a federal felon,” Doyle wrote in a social media post.
Doyle was one of 39 people who Biden fully pardoned of past crimes on Dec. 12. All of those pardoned had committed non-violent crimes, and many were drug-related charges. Biden also commutated — or reduced — the sentences of nearly 1,500 people.
To be pardoned or have a sentence commutated, citizens must submit a petition to the Office of the Pardon Attorney at least five years after being released from custody. Under the Constitution, the U.S. President can only pardon federal crimes.
The five-year waiting period is to show the government the petitioner is leading “a responsible, productive and law-abiding life,” according to the Office of the Pardon Attorney. A government agent will then investigate the petitioner, which includes interviews with employers and neighbors.
Doyle was successfully able to demonstrate that she is leading a law-abiding life and was pardoned for her crimes.
“I am so thankful for my family and friends who have supported me on this journey. You all know who you are,” Doyle said.
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