Daily Talker: Wahlberg Pardon?

Dorchester native Mark Wahlberg is asking Massachusetts for a pardon for assaults he committed when he was a troubled teenager. In 1988, when Wahlberg was 16, he hit a Vietnamese man in the head with a wooden stick and used racial slurs while trying to steal two cases of alcohol in front of a convenience store near his family's home. Wahlberg punched another man in the face trying to avoid police. He was caught with a small amount of marijuana. He was sentenced to three months in jail and was released after serving about 45 days.

In his application to the state, Wahlberg says he has turned his life around and become a successful music artist, actor and film and television producer. He also noted the millions he has raised for philanthropic causes. Wahlberg apologized for his actions in the application.

To get a pardon, the Massachusetts Parole Board would have to review Wahlberg's case and make a recommendation to the governor, who has the ultimate authority to grant pardons. Pardons are rarely issued in Massachusetts.

Do you think the state should pardon Mark Wahlberg's assault charges now that he has turned his life around?