Until otherwise provided by law, the Governor, Justices of the Supreme Court and Attorney-General shall constitute a Board of Pardons, a majority of whom, including the Governor, upon such conditions, and with such limitations and restrictions as they deem proper, may remit fines and forfeitures, commute punishments, and grant pardons after convictions, in all cases except treason and impeachments, subject to such regulations as may be provided by law, relative to the manner of applying for pardons; but no fine or forfeiture shall be remitted, and no commutation or pardon granted, except after a full hearing before the Board, in open session, after previous notice of the time and place of such hearing has been given. The proceedings and decisions of the Board, with the reasons therefor in each case, together with the dissent of any member who may disagree, shall be reduced to writing, and filed, with all papers used upon the hearing, in the office of the Secretary of State.
The Governor shall have power to grant respites or reprieves in all cases of convictions for offenses against the State, except treason or conviction on impeachment; but such respites or reprieves shall not extend beyond the next session of the Board of Pardons; and such Board, at such session, shall continue or determine such respite or reprieve, or they may commute the punishment, or pardon the offense as herein provided. In case of conviction for treason, the Governor shall have the power to suspend execution of the sentence, until the case shall be reported to the Legislature at its next regular session, when the Legislature shall either pardon, or commute the sentence, or direct its execution; he shall communicate to the Legislature at each regular session, each case of remission of fine or forfeiture, reprieve, commutation or pardon granted since the last previous report, stating the name of the convict, the crime for which he was convicted, the sentence and its date, the date of remission, commutation, pardon or reprieve, with the reasons for granting the same, and the objections, if any, of any member of the Board made thereto.