Mike Pence became the governor of Indiana in 2013, and is now, of course, the Republican vice presidential nominee. In his time as governor, he has issued three pardons, all to people who admitted their guilt. One man, however, remains in limbo as Pence refuses to clear his name.
A Decade In Prison For A Crime He Didn’t Commit
Keith Cooper was convicted of armed robbery and attempted murder in 1996. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the crimes. In 2005, however, things changed.
As reported by BuzzFeed:
“Keith Cooper was freed when eyewitnesses recanted their testimony against him, new DNA evidence showed he wasn’t at the scene of the crime, and a jailhouse informant admitted that he lied to investigators.”
Cooper began seeking a pardon five years later. Despite a unanimous recommendation from the parole board, Mike Pence refuses to issue the pardon:
“Now, after waiting for more than two years for Governor Mike Pence to act on the board’s decision, Cooper has learned that the GOP vice presidential candidate won’t — unless Cooper can prove to the governor’s administration that all other judicial remedies have been exhausted.”
Pence’s refusal to act means that Cooper remains a convicted felon, regardless of the fact that he is innocent of the crime. He cannot vote. He has trouble finding a job.
Meanwhile, the man shot during the robbery and the original prosecutor are on Cooper’s side. According to the South Bend Tribune:
“Among those advocating for the pardon is the man who was shot during the armed robbery and Michael A. Christofeno, the original trial prosecutor. In a letter to Pence, Christofeno wrote, ‘Justice demands that Mr. Cooper be pardoned. We cannot undo the wrongful imprisonment of Mr. Cooper, but we can undo his wrongful conviction with a pardon.'”
The South Bend Tribune piece says later:
“Every one of us should feel the sting of such injustice. Nothing can erase all that Keith Cooper has endured, but the next step couldn’t be clearer.
Governor Pence, issue this pardon.”
Pence is playing politics with a man’s life. Rather than do the right thing, he’s punting the case to the next governor, despite the fact that he’s pardoned guilty people in the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfYOQH9B768
Learn more about the real Mike Pence in this video from The Young Turks:
Featured image via screenshot from YouTube video
