Washington – November 13 (Online): A North Carolina man wrongly convicted of murder and imprisoned for 26 years has been granted a full pardon by the governor.
Dontae Sharpe had fought to prove his innocence since his 1994 arrest. He was released from prison in August 2019.
“My family’s name has been cleared,” he told reporters on Friday. “It’s a burden off of my shoulders and my family’s shoulders.”
The news follows a BBC documentary on the miscarriage of justice in his case.
Mr Sharpe’s story highlighted how it can take years to get a full pardon even after a person is exonerated and wins their freedom.
Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement announcing the pardon that he had carefully reviewed the case, and those who have been wrongly convicted like Mr Sharpe “deserve to have that injustice fully and publicly acknowledged”.
With the full pardon, Mr Sharpe will be able to file a request for compensation from the state.
A North Carolina man wrongly convicted of murder and imprisoned for 26 years has been granted a full pardon by the governor.
Dontae Sharpe had fought to prove his innocence since his 1994 arrest. He was released from prison in August 2019.
“My family’s name has been cleared,” he told reporters on Friday. “It’s a burden off of my shoulders and my family’s shoulders.”
The news follows a BBC documentary on the miscarriage of justice in his case.
Mr Sharpe’s story highlighted how it can take years to get a full pardon even after a person is exonerated and wins their freedom.
Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement announcing the pardon that he had carefully reviewed the case, and those who have been wrongly convicted like Mr Sharpe “deserve to have that injustice fully and publicly acknowledged”.
With the full pardon, Mr Sharpe will be able to file a request for compensation from the state.
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