Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-27-109 (2026)
Exoneration
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) After consideration of the facts, circumstances and any newly discovered evidence in a particular case, the governor may grant exoneration to any person whom the governor finds did not commit the crime for which the person was convicted. No person may apply for nor may the governor grant exoneration until the person has exhausted all possible state judicial remedies.
- (b) Exoneration granted pursuant to subsection (a) shall as a matter of law be unconditional, shall without application having to be made therefor expunge all records of the person's arrest, indictment and conviction, and shall automatically restore all rights of citizenship to the person.
- (c)
- (1) The governor has the authority to review and reconsider any pardon the governor has previously granted for the purpose of determining whether the recipient of the pardon qualifies for and merits the granting of exoneration in lieu of a pardon. If the governor so determines, the governor shall have the authority to convert any pardon previously granted into exoneration as defined by this section.
- (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the governor from granting exoneration to a person who applied for a pardon if the person qualifies under subsection (a) and if the governor determines the person merits exoneration.
Acts 1982, ch. 604, § 2; T.C.A., § 40-3509.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3
cases, 2002–2009 · leading case: Dellinger v. State, 279 S.W.3d 282 (Tenn. 2009).
Dellinger v. State, 279 S.W.3d 282 (Tenn. 2009). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-27-109 (2006). 8 . Tenn.”
State v. Blanchard, 100 S.W.3d 226 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2002). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-27-109(a) (emphasis added).”
Ralph E. Scates v. State of Tennessee (Tenn. Crim. App. 2005). “On January 13, 2004, the appellant filed a “petition to expunge and seal records” in accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-27-109. In the petition, the appellant listed several warrant and docket numbers that he wished to have expunged.”
Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-27-109(a): 1 case
State v. Blanchard, 100 S.W.3d 226 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2002). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-27-109(a) (emphasis added).”
Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-27-109(b): 1 case
State v. Blanchard, 100 S.W.3d 226 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2002). “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-27-109(a) (emphasis added).”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.