New Jersey Governor Faces Opposition Over Clemency Request for Christopher Blank

In 2006, Christopher Blank shot two Egg Harbor Township police officers during a traffic stop, leading to an 85‑year prison sentence for attempted murder and related charges. Blank has repeatedly appealed the conviction, and in 2025 launched an online campaign urging Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey to grant him clemency.

Former Egg Harbor Township officer Clear Costantino, who was wounded in the shooting, publicly urged the public and the governor to reject Blank's clemency bid, arguing that the conviction was justified and that releasing Blank would be unsafe.

The clemency request has sparked debate in New Jersey about the case, the fairness of the original trial, and the broader use of executive clemency for violent offenders.