Overview
- Lee granted the state pardon on Dec. 18 to the artist, born Jason DeFord, covering a 2003 robbery conviction and a 2008 drug possession conviction in Davidson County.
- He was among 33 people receiving executive clemency in the governor’s latest year-end round after a standard months-long review.
- In Tennessee, a pardon is a formal statement of forgiveness that does not erase criminal records but can open a path to restore certain civil rights subject to state law.
- Jelly Roll petitioned in 2024 and won a unanimous recommendation from the Tennessee Board of Parole in April, with backing from Sheriff Daron Hall and Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino.
- The artist has said a pardon would ease international travel and other logistical hurdles, complementing his public advocacy that includes prison outreach and testimony to Congress about fentanyl.