In a significant turn of events, Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves has decided to free a man who was subjected to an excessively harsh prison sentence. Marcus Taylor, who was ordered to serve 15 years for a crime that legally should carry no more than a five-year sentence, will soon regain his freedom.
Governor Reeves issued an order on Wednesday granting clemency to Taylor, emphasizing the injustice of the prolonged incarceration. The governor’s directive mandates that Taylor be released within five days, acknowledging the error in his sentencing.
“There is unanimous agreement among the 10 members of the Mississippi Court of Appeals that the sentence imposed on Mr. Taylor was illegal,” stated Reeves. He further explained that Taylor had already served over a decade of his sentence, far exceeding the legal maximum for his offense. “Continuing to hold Mr. Taylor beyond the statutory limit is a miscarriage of justice,” Reeves asserted.
Reeves underscored his constitutional responsibilities, saying, “As governor, I am committed to ensuring the fair application of Mississippi’s laws. By commuting Mr. Taylor’s sentence to time served, I am upholding my duty to execute the law impartially and justly.”
Earlier this year, in May, the Mississippi Court of Appeals acknowledged the illegality of Taylor’s sentence. However, they refrained from commuting his sentence due to his failure to meet the deadline for applying for post-conviction relief. Governor Reeves’ intervention now corrects that oversight, aiming to rectify this legal misstep.
The state’s Court of Appeals ruled in May that Taylor’s sentence was illegal, but did not commute his sentence because he had missed the deadline to apply for post-conviction relief.
But after rehearing the case last month, the court overturned its decision and ordered Taylor’s release.
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Marcus Taylor must be freed within five days of his order. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Taylor accepted a plea deal in February 2015 for conspiracy to sell a Schedule III controlled substance.
The trial court and Taylor’s plea petition incorrectly showed the maximum sentence as 20 years, according to the appeals court.
Acting on the state’s sentence recommendation, a judge sentenced Taylor to 15 years.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves granted clemency for the first time since taking office in 2020. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Taylor will finally be set free, after Reeves granted clemency for the first time since taking office in 2020.
“This is about justice, not mercy,” the governor said on Wednesday. “Mr. Taylor has served the entire five-year sentence for the crime to which he pled guilty. Respect for the rule of law and protecting every Mississippian’s right to individual liberty and self-determination are the bedrock principles upon which our Constitutional Republic and state were founded. If justice is denied to one Mississippian, it is denied to us all.”
