( 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 . '' 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 would n'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 .
Mark Wahlberg served prison time for committing suicide when he was 16 . He 's asking for a pardon because he 's still haunted by the convictions . ` ` I have committed myself to becoming a better person , '' he says .