Criminal Justice and Clemency

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves granted clemency to Marcus Taylor on Wednesday, ordering his release within five days after the Mississippi Court of Appeals concluded his 15-year sentence for a Schedule III drug conspiracy exceeded the five-year statutory maximum. The appeals court initially found the sentence illegal in May but declined relief on procedural grounds; after a rehearing last month, the court reversed itself and ordered Taylor’s release, with Reeves calling his action a fulfillment of his constitutional duty.