Why is NC's Governor Refusing to Pardon a Wrongfully Convicted Man?

On February 17, an innocent man woke up in a North Carolina prison for the last time. His last minutes in custody were likely spent like any other state inmate — eating breakfast off a plastic tray under the watchful eyes of corrections staff. But for Greg Taylor, Feb. 17 was an extraordinary day. On that day, he walked out of court a free man, after serving a whopping 6,149 days for a murder he didn't commit. Shortly after his release, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue promised to "will work aggressively to make sure he gets whatever he is owed by the state."

The Governor, however, hasn't followed through on this pledge.

It seems hard to believe. But fully three months after Taylor was exonerated — and as he struggles to put his life back together and remain optimistic — the government still hasn't issued him a pardon. Though Taylor and his attorneys submitted the necessary paperwork in March, he's yet to hear anything from the state. Three months is plenty of time to review a pardon request for a man that has been exonerated. Tell Governor Purdue to approve Taylor's pardon so he can move on with his life as a truly innocent man:

Taylor's case is a testimonial to just how error-prone the criminal justice system can be. In 1993, when he was convicted of the murder of Jaquetta Thomas, his case was rife with faulty evidence — which, thanks to the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission, later came to light and led to his exoneration. But that exoneration came only after 17 years of Taylor's incarceration, throughout which he begged for DNA tests of the clothing he wore the night of the murder. Such tests was never granted.

Until now. Now that Taylor's been found innocent, the police are actually doing the tests, since the department has formally reopened Thomas' murder case. Some speculate that Perdue wants to wait on those test results before granting Taylor his pardon. But the fact remains: Taylor has been judged innocent and can't be tried again, regardless of any test results. So what's the Governor waiting for?

In fact, another prisoner has already confessed to Thomas's murder. And though officials are skeptical of this confession, Thomas' family has supported Taylor and wants to see closure, too. Former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly Lake, who created the state's Innocence Commission, calls Perdue's delay in Taylor's case "outrageous," and I'd tend to agree.

In order to move forward, get any compensation from the state, pursue gainful employment and a regular life, Gregory Taylor needs to be pardoned. After formally getting exonerated, there's no good reason he shouldn't be. Send a letter to Governor Beverly Perdue and tell her Taylor's time for justice is long overdue. Ask her to sign his pardon so he can move on with his life — a life that's already been thwarted for 17 years as the result of state errors.

Photo Credit: Justin Ruckman