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The Mississippi Court of Appeals ruled in May that Marcus
Taylor's sentence was illegal, but did not commute his sentence
because Taylor had missed the deadline to apply for
post-conviction relief.
After rehearing the case last month, the court reversed course,
ordering Taylor's release.
Taylor accepted a plea deal in February 2015 for conspiracy to
sell a Schedule III controlled substance. Both the trial court
and Taylor's plea petition incorrectly listed the maximum
sentence as 20 years, according to the appeals court.
Upon the state's recommendation, a judge sentenced Taylor to 15
years.
“This is about justice, not mercy," Reeves said in a statement.
“Mr. Taylor has served more than 10 years of his sentence, and
further service of this sentence in excess of the five-year
statutory maximum constitutes a mischarge of justice.”
It is the first time Reeves has granted clemency since taking
office in 2020.
Reeves' order said Taylor must be released within five days.
Taylor's lawyer was not immediately available for comment.
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