Mark Wahlberg is asking for a second chance.
The "Transformers: Age of Extinction" star is asking Massachusetts for a pardon for assaults he committed as a troubled teenager in 1988 in Boston, according to the Boston Herald. He reportedly filed a pardon application with state officials on Wednesday.
"I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage that I may have caused the victims," Wahlberg wrote on his application. "Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others."
The 43-year-old father-of-four wants the court to recognize that he is not the same person who committed the crime 26 years ago.
At the age of 16, Wahlberg reportedly hit a man "over the head with a wooden stick" while trying to steal two cases of beer from a convenience store. His victim reportedly lost sight in one eye.
While trying to escape from the police, Wahlberg reportedly punched another man in the face. The actor said he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at that time. He was convicted as an adult and served 45 days in prison, according to NECN.
In his documents, Wahlberg cited his charitable work with the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and the Dorchester Boys and Girls Club. He also mentioned the renovation work done on the Boston-area Parish Gym, and that he often attends church services in his community.
The actor claimed that his past convictions are still affecting his life.
"I have not engaged in philanthropic efforts in order to make people forget about my past," he wrote. "To the contrary, I want people to remember my past so that I can serve as an example of how lives can be turned around and how people can be redeemed."
"The more complex answer is that receiving a pardon would be a formal recognition that I am not the same person that I was on the night of April 8, 1988. It would be formal recognition that someone like me can receive official public redemption if he devotes himself to personal improvement and a life of good works."
