“I will do anything I can not to disappoint him,” the Chesterfield County resident said. “I tell others who have had their rights restored that they have a lot to live up to.”

On Aug. 7, 1974, Zarif was convicted of first-degree murder in Richmond Circuit Court. He doesn’t like to talk about the drunken altercation that led to his conviction.

He was paroled in 1989 after serving 16 years. His obligations were satisfied in 2001. Kaine restored his voting rights in August of 2007. Kaine and his predecessor, Mark R. Warner, have expedited the process by eliminating much of the paper work formerly required.

With his rights restored, Zarif can vote, hold office, serve on a jury and be a notary public. He voted in last fall’s presidential election.

Keith William DeBlasio of West Virginia, formerly of Fairfax County, also has gone into prison advocacy. He was convicted of fraudulent use of a credit card on Oct. 6, 1995. Kaine restored his rights on Dec. 18, 2007.
“I didn’t need another gift for Christmas,” DeBlasio said.