Some of you may have been following the case of Gregory Taylor, a convicted murderer who has been serving time for 17 years and whose case has been in front of a panel of three judges over the past few days in Raleigh.
The panel's decision has just been announced and Mr. Taylor, by a unanimous vote, is being set free. Imagine. Serving 17 years as an innocent man. Fairness and justice should be at the core of our judicial system.
This will mark the first time that the so-called NC Inquiry Commission, the only one of its kind in the US, has considered a case. So it's a landmark decision. And one that we should all ponder.
A situation like this calls for us to examine what happened, what we can learn from, what needs to be changed. That's what pushed the creation of the Commission in the first place. That and the involvement of people from across political aisles, which is an infrequent happening these days.
The Foundation has funded several nonprofits and efforts over recent years involved in different aspects of this issue, from the NC Coalition for a Moratorium, to the many groups who worked on the Racial Justice Act, the NC Center on Actual Innocence, and many others.
The Taylor case, together with other recent high profile cases, should bring more attention to the need for support for these efforts.
The legal team and all those involved in the Taylor case are to be applauded.
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