An in-depth look at the reversal of a wrongful conviction in a noteworthy example of the justice system seeking to correct mistakes of the past
In 2019, Nathan Myers and Clifford Williams were released after almost 43 years in prison when murder charges against them were dismissed in the first exoneration brought about through a Conviction Integrity Review unit in Florida. Justice Pursued is the story of this wrongful conviction and its landmark reversal, which made headlines as it was initiated by the same state office that sought the death penalty for both men in 1976.
Journalist Bruce Horovitz describes in detail the events of the murder of Jeanette Williams and the one-sided trial, conviction, and life sentencing of Nathan Myers and Clifford Williams, drawing on first-person interviews as well as case documents, newspaper clippings, and other media coverage. Horovitz tells how the two men maintained their innocence for years and petitioned the state to reconsider the case. He highlights the creation of Florida's first Conviction Integrity Review unit, which reinvestigated the evidence and helped overturn the original verdict. He also looks at the issue of compensating exonerees like Myers and Williams for time imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
Incorporating the perspectives of those involved in the initial case and its reexamination four decades later, this tragic story is also one of hope, perseverance, and vindication. Justice Pursued brings awareness to systemic failures in the criminal justice system, the toll these mistakes exact on victims, and the necessity of prosecutorial review in addressing the growing crisis of wrongful convictions in the United States.