The state’s Commutation Advisory Board will interview 12 people on Aug. 21 who are seeking commutations for convictions ranging from drug offenses to armed robbery and homicide, according to a public notice from Gov. Tony Evers’ office. Five of the applicants were convicted in Milwaukee County.

A commutation shortens or changes a person’s prison sentence. Unlike an expungement, a commutation keeps the conviction on a person’s record. 

• Sharif Green, 52, was convicted in Milwaukee County of drug charges in 2015 and was sentenced to 20 years of confinement and 10 years of extended supervision. 

• Mighty Howell was convicted of intentional homicide and attempted armed robbery in 1993 and was sentenced to life in prison. Now 50, Howell was 17-years-old when he was sentenced. 

• Christopher Sutton (Smith), 51, was convicted of three counts of armed robbery with threat of force in 2002 and sentenced to 45 years in prison. 

• Demian McDermott, 53, was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide while in possession of a dangerous weapon in Milwaukee County in 1991 and sentenced to life in prison. He was 19 when convicted. 

• Sabir Wilcher, 46, was sentenced to life in prison in 1995, for first degree intentional homicide while armed. He had just turned 16-years-old at the time he was sentenced. 

After the interviews, the Commutation Advisory Board will meet in closed session to consider the applications before making recommendations to the governor. 

Final decisions are made by Evers. 

The meeting will be streamed on YouTube and/or wiseye.org/live.

Updates on the meeting notice will be provided once the YouTube link is available.

Reestablishment of commutations

If Evers grants a commutation, he would become the first Wisconsin governor to do so since former Gov. Tommy Thompson left office in 2001.

Evers signed an executive order in April reestablishing the process.

He said the commutations can reduce the likelihood that people will reoffend as well as reward people who have been rehabilitated. 

“It’s exciting to see names I know on there,” said Shannon Ross, founder and CEO of The Community, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that’s part of Justice Forward Wisconsin. Justice Forward Wisconsin provides resources for people applying for commutations.

Mark Rice, transformational justice campaign coordinator for WISDOM, a statewide faith-based organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told NNS that commutations are important because Wisconsin’s “harsh sentencing policies have blocked opportunities for redemption and created a severe overcrowding crisis in prisons.”

However, some politicians have opposed sentence reductions for people convicted of violent crimes, arguing rehabilitation cannot outweigh the harm caused.

Whether Wisconsin continues granting commutations after Evers leaves office depends on the state’s next governor. 

in April, candidates in the 2026 gubernatorial race shared their positions on commutations.

Here’s prior NNS coverage on commutations

Commutations are back in Wisconsin – as are strong feelings about them

Opinion: My open letters to elected leaders on justice and public safety as Wisconsin weighs commutations

Opinion: After decades in prison, who deserves a chance at clemency?

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Five people with Milwaukee ties will have commutation hearings in August

by Devin Blake, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
July 28, 2026

<h1>Five people with Milwaukee ties will have commutation hearings in August</h1> <p class="byline">by Devin Blake, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />July 28, 2026</p> <p>The state's Commutation Advisory Board will interview 12 people on Aug. 21 who are seeking commutations for convictions ranging from drug offenses to armed robbery and homicide, according to a public notice from Gov. Tony Evers’ office. Five of the applicants were convicted in Milwaukee County.</p> <p>A commutation shortens or changes a person’s prison sentence. Unlike an expungement, a commutation keeps the conviction on a person’s record.&nbsp;</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Sharif Green, 52, was convicted in Milwaukee County of drug charges in 2015 and was sentenced to 20 years of confinement and 10 years of extended supervision. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Mighty Howell was convicted of intentional homicide and attempted armed robbery in 1993 and was sentenced to life in prison. Now 50, Howell was 17-years-old when he was sentenced. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Christopher Sutton (Smith), 51, was convicted of three counts of armed robbery with threat of force in 2002 and sentenced to 45 years in prison. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Demian McDermott, 53, was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide while in possession of a dangerous weapon in Milwaukee County in 1991 and sentenced to life in prison. He was 19 when convicted. </li> </ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Sabir Wilcher, 46, was sentenced to life in prison in 1995, for first degree intentional homicide while armed. He had just turned 16-years-old at the time he was sentenced. </li> </ul> <p>After the interviews, the Commutation Advisory Board will meet in closed session to consider the applications before making recommendations to the governor.&nbsp;</p> <p>Final decisions are made by Evers.&nbsp;</p> <p>The meeting will be streamed on YouTube and/or <a href="http://wiseye.org/live">wiseye.org/live</a>.</p> <p>Updates on the meeting notice will be provided once the YouTube link is available.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Reestablishment of commutations</strong></h2> <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/asse20250122-State-of-the-State-Timmerman-43-1024x683.jpg" alt="A person stands with a hand raised at a podium that has a microphone in a wood-paneled room, with two people seated in the background on raised chairs." class="wp-image-145934" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers reestablished the commutation process in April. (Joe Timmerman / Wisconsin Watch)</figcaption></figure> <p>If Evers grants a commutation, he would become the first Wisconsin governor to do so since former Gov. Tommy Thompson left office in 2001.</p> <p>Evers signed an executive order in April reestablishing the process.</p> <p><a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/411672b">He said</a> the commutations can reduce the likelihood that people will reoffend as well as reward people who have been rehabilitated.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It’s exciting to see names I know on there,” said Shannon Ross, founder and CEO of The Community, <a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2023/12/14/nns-spotlight-how-the-community-fills-information-gaps-for-those-who-have-been-or-are-incarcerated/">a Milwaukee-based nonprofit</a> that’s part of Justice Forward Wisconsin. Justice Forward Wisconsin provides <a href="https://justiceforwardwi.org/commutations">resources for people applying for commutations</a>.</p> <p>Mark Rice, transformational justice campaign coordinator for WISDOM, a statewide faith-based organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told NNS that commutations are important because Wisconsin's “harsh sentencing policies have blocked opportunities for redemption and created a severe overcrowding crisis in prisons.”</p> <p>However, <a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/05/26/i-am-a-transformed-man-and-i-am-rehabilitated-commutations-are-back-in-wisconsin-as-are-strong-feelings-about-them/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTUYgVwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMUtKSFMxTHE0eG01aUd6c3BzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeTqwK5RkImSk-N8jbj2VIIVhSXIsDgJon6Wz3lDs4D3gxXvXmRFXBa1Tjf34_aem_R30okv2fmzm2WOCXyXoVFA">some politicians </a>have opposed sentence reductions for people convicted of violent crimes, arguing rehabilitation cannot outweigh the harm caused.</p> <p>Whether Wisconsin continues granting commutations after Evers leaves office depends on the state’s next governor.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/2026/04/wisconsin-governor-evers-commutations-prison-election-candidates-democrat-republican/">in April, candidates</a> in the 2026 gubernatorial race shared their positions on commutations.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-background" style="background-color:#dfdcdc">Here's prior NNS coverage on commutations</h2> <p><a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/05/26/i-am-a-transformed-man-and-i-am-rehabilitated-commutations-are-back-in-wisconsin-as-are-strong-feelings-about-them/" data-type="link" data-id="https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/05/26/i-am-a-transformed-man-and-i-am-rehabilitated-commutations-are-back-in-wisconsin-as-are-strong-feelings-about-them/">Commutations are back in Wisconsin – as are strong feelings about them</a></p> <p><a href="My open letters to elected leaders on justice and public safety as Wisconsin weighs commutations">Opinion: My open letters to elected leaders on justice and public safety as Wisconsin weighs commutations</a></p> <p><a href="After decades in prison, who deserves a chance at clemency?">Opinion: After decades in prison, who deserves a chance at clemency?</a></p></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/07/28/five-people-with-milwaukee-ties-will-have-commutation-hearings-in-august/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org&quot;&gt;Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-NNS-Favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=171783&amp;amp;ga4=G-HGM4XK3QCM&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/07/28/five-people-with-milwaukee-ties-will-have-commutation-hearings-in-august/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/milwaukeenns.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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