Montpelier (ap) — In his final days as the state’s chief executive, Gov. Peter Shumlin is expected to issue pardons to residents convicted of minor marijuana violations.

The Democrat, who was first elected in 2010, must issue the pardons before Thursday, when he turns the office over to his successor, Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Scott.

Shumlin is keeping busy until he leaves office.

“The governor came to office promising to do big things,” Shumlin spokesman Scott Coriell said Monday. “He’s never shied away from trying to get difficult things done. And he’s not going to start now.”

Last month, Shumlin invited people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana before the state decriminalized it in 2013 to apply for pardons.

Almost 500 people applied.

When announcing he would take the applications for pardons, Shumlin said he wanted to use the power of his office’s pardoning power “to expedite our move to a saner drug policy and criminal justice system.”

It’s not just marijuana. On Saturday, Shumlin issued 10 pardons for people convicted of various felonies and misdemeanors, including the son of former vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro and the son of former U.S. Rep. Richard Mallary.

Half of those pardons involve people convicted of possessing, selling or growing marijuana, while the rest were people convicted of domestic assault, sexual assault, the sale of cocaine and criminal mischief.

In a statement, Shumlin, a Democrat, said he believes in second chances and “society will continue to move toward a more sensible approach to drug addiction and criminal justice.”

Ferraro’s son, John Zaccaro Jr., was a Middlebury College student when he was arrested in 1986 and accused of selling $25 worth of cocaine to an undercover state police officer. He was convicted in 1988 and served four months under house arrest. At the time, Ferraro accused prosecutors of unfairly targeting her son because of her high profile after becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1984.

Richard Mallary Jr. was convicted in 1978 of selling 3 pounds of marijuana to an undercover police officer while he was a student at the University of Vermont. His father, Republican Richard Mallary, served in the U.S. House in the early 1970s.

Saturday’s pardons were separate from Shumlin’s marijuana pardon program announced this month.

Also, Shumlin’s lawyers will be appearing before the Vermont Supreme Court today to argue he should be allowed to fill an upcoming vacancy.

In September, Justice John Dooley announced he would not seek another six years on the court when his current term expires in March. Shumlin had been expected to announce Dooley’s replacement before the new year, but Republicans sued and the court blocked Shumlin from making that appointment.

Since the Christmas Day deadline to apply for marijuana pardons, Shumlin’s staff has been doing background checks. Anyone with a violent criminal history won’t be pardoned.