For the first time, Gov. Reeves grants executive clemency to a prisoner

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Gov. Reeves has granted executive clemency to a prisoner for the first time since taking office.

The governor granted clemency to Marcus Taylor, who, in 2015, accepted a plea bargain and pled guilty to conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance.

The state of Mississippi recommended a fifteen-year sentence, which was accepted by the trial judge.

All 10 members of the Mississippi Court of Appeals recently confirmed that at the time of his offense and sentencing, the maximum lawful sentence that could be imposed on Taylor was five years.

As stated by the Mississippi Court of Appeals: “It is apparent that Taylor’s fifteen-year sentence exceeds the five-year maximum sentence for the crime to which he pled guilty.”

Thus, says the governor, the fifteen-year sentence “plainly is illegal.”

“This is about justice, not mercy,” stated Reeves. “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.”

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