- Mark Wahlberg served prison time for committing assault when he was 16
- He's asking for a pardon because he's still affected by the convictions
- "I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person," he says
(CNN) -- On April 8, 1988, when he was 16 and long before he became a model, rapper and actor, Mark Wahlberg -- high on drugs and alcohol -- assaulted a man while trying to steal two cases of alcohol and then punched another man in the face as he attempted to avoid the police.
He was arrested, sentenced and tried as an adult, and he served 45 days in prison.
Today, at 43, Wahlberg is a much different person -- a father of four, a successful movie star, a philanthropist who works with at-risk youth -- but says he's still legally affected by his convictions. In a petition submitted Monday (PDF), he's asking for a pardon.
"I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage I may have caused the victims," he writes in the petition. "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."
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe plans to pardon his son, Kyle Beebe, who served three years of supervised probation after he was convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to sell in 2003. The governor said his son will become one of more than 700 offenders he has pardoned. 
Anthony McCray is one of eight men convicted of killing their wives or girlfriends who were pardoned by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. They had served in the governor's mansion, where the most well-behaved of convicts in Mississippi get to work and are commonly pardoned by the governor. 
For Ricky Walters, aka Slick Rick, a pardon from New York Gov. David Paterson in 2008 ended his fear of being deported back to his native Britain. The hip-hop star had served six years in prison on an attempted murder and weapons charge, but faced deportation because of a federal statute to deport resident aliens convicted of violent felonies or weapons charges. 
Billionaire investor and commodities trader Marc Rich, who violated the embargo on Iran, was pardoned by President Bill Clinton. The controversial pardon even came despite the fact that Rich fled to Switzerland and was on the FBI's most wanted list. Clinton issued about 450 pardons and commutations during his presidency. 
Rich's wasn't the only controversial pardon issued by Clinton. Clinton also pardoned a dozen members of the nationalist terrorist group FALN, several of whom were expected to serve out their terms until their death. 
Clinton's controversial pardon streak continued with former Rep. Mel Reynolds of Illinois, who was convicted of corruption and statutory rape of a 16-year-old campaign volunteer. 
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe won't be the first executive to pardon an immediate family member. Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton, who was convicted of dealing cocaine, on his last day in office. 
President Ronald Reagan's secretary of defense secured a presidential pardon from President George H.W. Bush in 1992. Caspar Weinberger had been indicted on perjury and obstruction of justice charges related to the Iran-Contra scandal. He was one of several officials involved in the affair whom Bush pardoned. 
All Vietnam-era draft dodgers were unconditionally pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977, indemnifying hundreds of thousands who evaded or attempted to evade the draft. The blanket pardon was one of Carter's top campaign promises. 
Carter also used his presidential power to pardon famed musician and activist Peter Yarrow, who had been convicted of taking "indecent liberties" with a 14-year-old fan. 
President Richard Nixon avoided being indicted in the Watergate scandal after his former vice president and successor, President Gerald Ford, pardoned him for crimes he "committed or may have committed." His pardon came about a month after he resigned from office in wake of the scandal. 
Call it good karma. Before Nixon got his own pardon, he pardoned several others, including infamous union leader Jimmy Hoffa in 1971. Hoffa had been convicted of jury tampering and fraud. But the pardon didn't keep him out of trouble, as Hoffa vanished in 1974. His body was never found. 
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Pardoned: 12 famous & controversial Wahlberg says his record "can potentially be the bases to deny me a concessionaire's license in California and elsewhere," something important to him because of his interest in Wahlburgers, a restaurant he hopes to expand.
Moreover, he says, "given my prior record, Massachusetts and California law prohibit me from actually obtaining positions in law enforcement," which he says prevents him from becoming "more active in law enforcement activities."
Wahlberg has frequently acknowledged his troubled past. In July, he told CBS News that he draws on his experiences in his acting.
"I have a lot of real life experience that I can draw on," Wahlberg said. "And I think that shows in the characters that I play because I'm always trying to find somebody -- or find characters to play that I can identify with on a personal level or relate to. And I think it makes for a little bit more of an honest portrayal."
He added, "Once I got a second chance, I was never going to do anything to mess it up."
In the petition, Wahlberg notes that in 2001 he started the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, which has donated $7 million to various youth causes, and he's very active in the Boys & Girls Club.
News reports have noted that Wahlberg left some details out of his pardon. As his sentencing memorandum states, he made a racial slur to the first man he hit and continued with such speech after he was arrested. One victim was left blind in one eye, according to an ABC News report.
Wahlberg admits that his reasons for asking for a pardon go beyond just having certain legal rights smoothed out.
"The more complex answer is that receiving a pardon would be a formal recognition that I am not the same person that I was the night of April 8, 1988," he writes. "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."
The pardon would also be a message for troubled youths that "they too can turn their lives around and be formally accepted back into society," he adds.
Some observers have been skeptical of the request.
"Even if Wahlberg is not the same person anymore, he was that person at one point, and if he's seeking a pardon the full version of how he acted is what should be judged," wrote the Boston Globe's Austin Tedesco.
Commenters on Boston's WBZ's "Daily Talker" were harsher.
"Why him and not numerous others who have turned their lives around? Has he made amends to the victim?" wrote jockstevens.
"Ah, no. It wouldn't be fair to others in the same situation," wrote the flip side.
Wahlberg's case will be reviewed by the parole board, which will pass its recommendation to Gov. Deval Patrick, who will make the final decision pending approval by the eight-person Governor's Council.
CNN's Kevin Conlon contributed to this report.
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