Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Wednesday pardoned a man who was illegally sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime that could have been punished by up to five years in prison. The man will be released from prison.
The Mississippi Court of Appeals ruled in May that Marcus Taylor’s sentence was illegal, but did not commute it because Taylor missed a deadline to apply for post-conviction relief.
After rehearing the case last month, the court reversed course and ordered Taylor released.
Taylor accepted a plea agreement in February 2015 on one count of conspiracy to sell a Schedule III controlled substance. According to the appeals court, both the trial court and Taylor’s plea petition erred in listing the maximum sentence at 20 years.
On the state’s recommendation, the judge sentenced Taylor to 15 years in prison.
“This is justice, not mercy,” Reeves said in a statement. “Mr. Taylor has already served more than 10 years in prison, and continuing to serve beyond the statutory maximum of five years would constitute a miscarriage of justice.”
This is the first pardon Reeves has granted since taking office in 2020.
Reeves’ order requires Taylor to be released within five days.
Taylor’s attorney was not immediately available for comment.