Mississippi man serving an illegal sentence granted clemency, weeks after after his brother

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s governor granted clemency to a man sentenced to illegal imprisonment years longer than the maximum sentence for his crime, weeks after the man’s brother received clemency in a similar case.

Governor Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he would grant clemency to Maurice Taylor. The man’s brother is Marcus Taylor. received a pardon earlier this month from the governor for another unlawful sentence.

In February 2015, both brothers accepted a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance.

At the time, the maximum sentence for conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance was five years. However, Maurice Taylor was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with five years suspended, and Marcus Taylor was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

“Like his brother, Maurice Taylor received a sentence three times longer than permitted under Mississippi law,” Reeves wrote in his announcement. “If justice is denied to even one Mississippian, it is denied to all of us.”

In May, the Mississippi Court of Appeals ruled that Marcus Taylor’s sentence was unlawful, but did not commute his sentence because Taylor had missed the deadline to apply for post-conviction relief. After the case was heard again in November, the court reversed course and ordered his release.

In Wednesday’s order, Reeves wrote that Maurice Taylor’s post-conviction attorney first contacted his office several weeks ago and provided legal documents related to his case. According to Reeves’ order, Maurice Taylor must be released within five days.

The Associated Press was not immediately able to identify or contact Maurice Taylor’s post-conviction attorney.

The only people who receive mercy from Reeves are the siblings.