Three judges of the N.C. Superior Courts unanimously found Greg Taylor innocent of murder charges Wednesday afternoon after Taylor spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Wake Superior Court Judge Howard Manning, Mecklenburg Superior Court Judge Calvin Murphy and Superior Court Judge Tanya Wallace of Rockingham found that Taylor's lawyers had proved "by clear and convincing evidence" that Taylor was innocent in the murder of Jacquetta Thomas.
Immediately after the decision was announced, Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby walked over to Taylor, extended his hand and told him he was sorry that Taylor had been convicted in the case in 1993.
Minutes later, Taylor was taken into a side room of the new state business courtroom in Campbell University's Wiggins School of Law in downtown Raleigh. His shackles were removed and he was freed.
Taylor was the first inmate to be freed after a three-judge panel hearing under the state's new Innocence Inquiry Commission law. In Taylor's case, the Innocence Commission ruled 8-0 last fall there was a high probability Taylor was innocent. With the conclusion by three judges that he is indeed innocent, the state officials charged with the duty of deciding his case have now voted 11-0 in Taylor's favor -- a convincing ruling.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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2 comments:
"Out of tragedy and sadness can actually come a better world.....Nothing makes our system better than the public acknowledgement that mistakes have been made." ~ Joe Cheshire 2/17/2010
Well, Halleaujah and Amen! Justice is done.
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