Governor issues 19 pardons

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has granted 19 pardons, most for lesser crimes.

The pardons issued Wednesday come in the wake of criticism of the governor for a backlog of as many as 1,600 clemency petitions sitting on his desk.

A group of convicted felons is suing the Blagojevich administration in federal court, contending they have been waiting for years for decisions in their cases. None of those plaintiffs was included in Wednesday's pardons.

Three of those pardoned were exonerated in 2002 after a federal investigation forced Chicago police to re-examine the 1997 kidnapping and murder that led to their convictions. The men were imprisoned for years before authorities determined they were not involved in the crimes.

Some of the pardons involved cases dating to the 1970s. A pardon allows the record of a felony conviction to be expunged.