In a significant move, Mississippi’s Republican Governor, Tate Reeves, has ordered the release of Marcus Taylor, who was improperly sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime with a maximum penalty of only five years.

On Wednesday, Governor Reeves granted clemency to Taylor, mandating his release within five days of the order.

“All ten members of the Mississippi Court of Appeals have recently confirmed that such a sentence is illegal for the offense in question,” Governor Reeves remarked in a statement on Wednesday.

Marcus Taylor, who has already spent over a decade behind bars, was acknowledged by the governor as being subjected to an unjust sentence. “Further time served beyond the five-year statutory limit is a clear miscarriage of justice,” Reeves declared.

He further emphasized, “As governor, it’s my solemn obligation to ensure the laws of Mississippi are upheld impartially. By commuting Mr. Taylor’s sentence to time served, I am dutifully executing my Constitutional responsibilities.”

The state’s Court of Appeals ruled in May that Taylor’s sentence was illegal, but did not commute his sentence because he had missed the deadline to apply for post-conviction relief.

But after rehearing the case last month, the court overturned its decision and ordered Taylor’s release.

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Marcus Taylor must be freed within five days of his order. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Taylor accepted a plea deal in February 2015 for conspiracy to sell a Schedule III controlled substance.

The trial court and Taylor’s plea petition incorrectly showed the maximum sentence as 20 years, according to the appeals court.

Acting on the state’s sentence recommendation, a judge sentenced Taylor to 15 years.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves granted clemency for the first time since taking office in 2020. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Taylor will finally be set free, after Reeves granted clemency for the first time since taking office in 2020.

“This is about justice, not mercy,” the governor said on Wednesday. “Mr. Taylor has served the entire five-year sentence for the crime to which he pled guilty. Respect for the rule of law and protecting every Mississippian’s right to individual liberty and self-determination are the bedrock principles upon which our Constitutional Republic and state were founded. If justice is denied to one Mississippian, it is denied to us all.”