Vindication
AUSTIN – The governor, contrary to a 45-year-old legal opinion, does have the authority to grant a pardon to Timothy Cole, who died in prison before he could be proven innocent
Regardless of a 1965 attorney general’s decision that suggested someone must be alive to legally accept a pardon, The U.S Supreme Court, in conjunction with state legislators, have changed the interperatation of Texas law to allow posthumous pardons.
Cole was the first person proven innocent by DNA in a rape that occured in 1985. In 1999 Cole died in prison due to an asthma attack.
I think this is a great day for the Cole family, who is entitled to over $1m for the wrongful conviction. The beautiful part is that they haven’t even applied for the money, saying that their true motive was to vindicate Timothy’s name. You can read the full story here
Who is this guy? Aaron Mathis is a sales-rep by day and a web-designer by night. He currently resides in the beautiful city of Colorado Springs, Colorado.