While I believe in the redemptive ability of all humanity, sometimes there are crimes so bad.... has he offered compensation to his victim or victims family?

Many criminals live good lives after serving their time. If Wahlberg gets a pardon now, why shouldn't everyone who does good deeds after prison get one?

It's not as though he can't support his family because he can't get a job without a pardon.

That I believe everyone who serves their time and shows good behavior for a sufficient period should have their past record expunged. If someone does something wrong, pays the price, and reforms has a criminal record, we are, in effect, punishing them for the rest of their lives. That's wrong. Granted, in this case, he's not suffering financially, but a lot of other people are. It even affects your ability to get an apartment in some places.

He has already served his time and everyone knows of his past.

A pardon would not expunge his criminal record, anyway.

As for others who have more anonymity, I don't think they should be deprived of jobs or the right to vote, but I don't think their records should be expunged, either.

I agree that we are that way as a society, but Wahlberg got off easy. No clue why.

45 days for the loss of an eye???

I know that the family was on welfare, if not consistently, then on and off. (Lots of kids, Dad and mom split, Dad out of work a lot.)

It may be that Donnie had already started to make big bucks by the time Mark was 16 and helped out his brother somehow. If not, maybe the family had some connections in city government?

I am not interested enough to dig around the internet to try to find a reason, but it had to be money or connections or both.

get them because of his felonies.So he wants this expunged from his record. Imo it has nothing to do with anything else.

FYI, a pardon is different from expunging a record. Juvenile records are expunged, meaning you can never look them up or use them against the former juvenile offender in court if he or she becomes an adult offender, etc. A pardon means the person doesn't get any more punishment.

truly awful...

I never say racist things or beat the sight out of anyone when I am drunk, do many of you?

Wahlberg was incredibly lucky to get only 45 days in jail. Then, he was incredibly lucky to earn a fortune. What is a pardon going to for him at this point?

He should thank his lucky fucking stars it was only 45 days and just move on.

I like the dude. I believe in rehabilitation as well. However a pardon at this point is useless as his career is doing just fine. How about instead of a pardon he tracks down his victims and earns an apology. Don't just ask for it, prove you've changed.

He needs to really show he's changed, and at least from this article one doesn't get that impression.

don't get pardons. Some even become clergy (the decent kind) and don't get pardons. What makes him a special case? His money? His celebrity? His sense of entitlement to special treatment?

I've never been a fan...the smugness has always bothered me.

Then I guess pardon him, in keeping with past policy.

Pardons are a joke. They seldom go to who actually deserve it.

Not saying Mark didn't learn his lesson. He did, but it's not like he will have trouble finding a job or anything. But a pardon for being a celebrity is silly.

Sorry Mark. You gotta own this one.

Come on, Mark, show us what you're really made of.

Plus, he is a truly shitty actor...

and have never found and will never find a job because of it.

How many people were pressured to plead guilty for something they didn't even do when they were young and have never found and will never find a job because of it.

He did this, and he hasn't even had his life horribly affected by what he did. Talk about class privilege and white privilege and I suppose there's some kind of privilege associated with being famous as well, that anyone is even considering this. Huge example of privilege at work. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually got pardoned.

45 days for beating a man senseless (and ultimately half blind) in a drunken racist rage?

Take the money and run, son.

Maybe Donnie was making big bucks by then? But, before NKOTB, that was a family on welfare.

If he did not currently have class privilege.

We'll see if Governor Patrick grants a pardon. If not, the only thing current would be Wahlberg's sense of entitlement. I would love to know why he only got 45 days when he was 16, though.

But perhaps having that record has helped and reminded him of the awful crime he committed. I think it should stand. One thing that would have changed my mind was that if he went into Asian communities the last 26 years on a weekly basis to volunteer to help them. Yep I would even allow time he is doing movies to exclude his volunteering. But unless I am wrong, it doesn't seem like he has done anything like that at all.

45 days in prison for beating a guy so badly he lost sight in his eye and this jerk wants a pardon.

I think I'll contact the state of Massachusetts and request that they arrest him and make him serve an appropriate sentence.

Is he so delusional that he believes a pardon will absolve him of what he did?

Fuck him.

And now he wants a pardon?


Fuck off with that shit...

The article does not mention if he paid their medical bills, their loss of work during recovery, compensation for the loss of Mr. Trinh's eye, or a dime to make up for his vicious, racist acts. Even if he had no money at the time of the crimes, he has had money for a number of years, and could have compensated those men and their families. But nothing is said to indicate that he has.

Unless his victims received some token of Wahlberg's remorse, I don't see that he has proven that he really feels he did wrong.

That's one of the stupid years for American males.
I say 'let it go'.

and lots didn't. Should we scoop them all up and punish them? Humiliate them? I don't see the point. Just my opinion.

It isn't whether he should be humiliated. It's whether he should be pardoned.

And my point was that a racial hate crime, and think about how much violence was involved, isn't just a stupid mistake kids make.

pardoned - IF - he meets with those he hurt and apologizes and asks for their forgiveness.

This wasn't making out in study hall or trying pot.

I'm guessing some didn't.

I'm not of the belief that a 16yo is an adult.

Obviously, a 16 year old is not an adult, but these were hateful, vicious violent crimes, not youthful indiscretions. He did all of 45 days for them and his record certainly did not prevent him from earning a living. He should sit down and shut up and thank his lucky stars.

doesn't mean majority.

Yes he got a very mild sentence. He was fortunate. Maybe someone saw something in him and gave him a chance. Maybe he could have spent 2 years in prison and reentered society as a hardened criminal. Another wasted life.

youthful pranks or indiscretions. Surely, you noticed that. The practice of re-phrasing another poster's careful wording to suit your argument is not one I can admire.

of 16 yo criminals. You don't, fine. I'm not rephrasing your statements and have no idea what you're going on about.

In 2011, there were 4,367 arrests for every 100,000 youths ages 10 through 17 in the United States. That's all arrests. Less than 5% are arrested for anything.

some family issues as 3 or 4 of his brothers and 1 of his sisters also ended up in jail.

Wahlberg's pardon or non-pardon is not something I am passionate about, what happens will happen. My feeling is that people can turn their lives around and it seems that Wahlberg has.

He's a world famous, wealthy actor. So that criminal conviction has not hurt him at all. But how many people that did something that terrible ever get a pardon for their crimes? Why should Marky Mark be any different?

He should be pardonned ...what he did was awful, but he has changed his life ...he was but 16.

Tell me that, and then we can talk about redemption.

Doesn't glorify violence I don't know what does

Pardon him for what?

Did he injure two Asians in an unprovoked attack?

A pardon should occur if an injustice has occurred. As far as I can see the injustice wasn't done to him

Nixon may be the most famous example. Guilty as charged.

The big campaign donor Clinton pardoned is another famous example. So was commuting Libbey's sentence.

As with anything else in the US, money and/or connections often trump justice.

argued as cruel and unusual punishment, but not for the crime itself. Just a personal opinion

you are rich and/or well-connected and the death penalty is enough reason. Those are my opinions, too. Unfortunately, people who have the power to pardon seem to think otherwise.

Really? How about last year's movie "Pain and Gain" which actually tried to make a comedy out of brutal violence? Horrible movie, couldnt finish it.

Glad he does well now but unless blanket pardons are handed out then no.

...I'd never heard this story. He's stupid to bring it up at all... better hire a new publicist!

Can't stand that guy.

No, asshole you should live with it just like Mike Tyson, Danny Trejo and Charles S. Dutton. Just because you're white and make a lot of money doesnt mean you should be able to sweep your racist attack under the rug.

45 days in jail for beating and blinding a man was PEANUTS for a race fueled attack.

he probably would not have survived the arrest process.

That's the only way he'd get some DU love.

want ex-felons to be allowed to vote. How do ex-criminals have a chance in society when there is so little forgiveness?

I could understand wanting to get the Felony dropped so he could vote in Massachusetts.

And I think inmates only lost the right to vote in the early 90's but that could be my faulty memory.

contrite, and faced those he harmed seeking forgiveness.

You know that's what is driving this train. They don't give liquor licenses to felons.

He needs to take his name off the list of owners--that'll solve his problem quicker than this pardon will.

I oppose giving him the pardon as well--not unless he compensates the man's family in Saudi-style fashion--drop a few million on him, and give him shares in his Wahlburger's restaurant.

We KNOW money talks, make it talk loudly....for a change. So everyone KNOWS what the deal is, here.

Yes he was 16 years old. We should be aware 16 year olds that are raised in horrible ways can do horrible things to people. He isn't the only one who should face the public wrath though. He was on hard drugs well before the age of 16. That isn't the signal of a happy home or a functional family. Something was horrible screwed up for him from the jump.

That being said I think Wahlberg should talk about that a lot. But, like many abused children (yes I am assuming, it could have been a different horror for him) they don't get what has screwed them up. Most blame themselves, I think Wahlberg might have escaped that fate, not sure. He should maybe write a book and let people know that abuse has consequences outside of the home it happens in. It screws with people's heads and it can leave permanent scars.

Even with abusive parents people are going to have to be held accountable if the attack and maim someone. It's a tragic thing all around. But, no pardon. He can wear the conviction like a blind eye.

I'm sure Mark Wahlberg hates what 16 year old Mark Wahlberg was. He also went to jail and paid his debt to society. He should be forgiven, imo.

He was a minor at 16. He hasn't done anything wrong since right? I forgive him.

For nearly all crimes short of murder and rape, I believe that pardons should routinely be issued to people who were convicted of crimes as minors...if they can demonstrate a decade or two of upstanding citizenship after their sentence is completed. Punishing someone for life over an offense they committed when they were still minors and barely out of childhood is cruel.

He sure as fuck does not look punished to me.

The point you are advocating is the one Wahlberg should be advocating as a man of great wealth who has a past burden common to so many others who do not have his connections or resources. But he's not.

Wahlberg has a lot of power, and he should be using it to help other people in his situation.

I mean legally, what is his record blocking him on?

So that's what's motivating him, not some contrition.

...to allow petitioning for removal of the prohibition after a long time, say 20-25 years after completion of the sentence. People might support you on that one.

But a pardon? Hell, no!

Doing that would show contrition...a pardon only for himself, not so much.

He'll get no sympathy from me.

if it was a non violent act i might agree but if i had done something like that and was sorry for it i would just try to be better for the rest of my life and not expect pardon, forgiveness, or anything else for the horrible things i had done.

what do the people who he attacked have to say about this ? do they agree that he should be pardoned ?

Does anyone offering an opinion really know Mark W?

I believe in redemption & I do not know this man. Why must we forever point and condemn? What he did was horrible. But why must we look at one thing in a persons life and draw all conclusions from that. I believe people are complex.

Contrition? Atonement? Amends?

Right now, the only info that I have is that he needs the pardon so he can get a liquor license.

You're right. I don't know him. If you have more info, I want to hear it.

For what it's worth, I think that a lot of the prohibitions against people who've been convicted of felonies and who have served their time, including the ones that make it so they can never own a restaurant that sells alcohol, are stupid. Not every felony should be a life sentence. If Mr Wahlberg wants to try to get those laws changed, I'm 100% with him.

But an actual pardon for a racist attack with permanent injury to the victim should be about something other than one man's desire to sell beer with his burgers, shouldn't it?

My message is clear. It doesn't mean I'm taking up the banner for him.

I will add I'm curious what the victim has to say. His opinion would be more important than ours.