Mr. Taylor’s case represents a total breakdown in the legal system. At trial, the overwhelming majority witnesses said only three people committed the crime, but police arrested a fourth - Mr. Taylor, because they were looking for his brother. Mr. Taylor was like a ghost in the trial, there was barely a mention of him. No one could describe where he was or what he was supposedly doing, and the prosecutor argued that he was guilty by association with his brother. In postconviction, his lawyer wrote a no-merits letter, but the court denied it and forced the lawyer to represent Mr. Taylor at a hearing. Mr. Taylor's mom brought to the hearing 6 alibi witnesses, who were with him across the city on the night of the crime, and the defense lawyer cross-examined each of them, arguing against his own client. Ultimately, the trial court denied his post-conviction petition, but later urged the District Attorney’s office to examine the case, noting that “no one benefits from having innocent people in jail.”
Two decades later, Mr. Taylor and his co-defendant, Keith Graves (who was convicted on the basis of cross-racial voice identification evidence) were finally cleared after another individual confessed to the Conviction Integrity Unit. Police had uncovered evidence about that individual, but had failed to turn it over to trial counsel. The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has now vacated their convictions and dismissed all charges against them. Mr. Taylor and his family have never wavered on his innocence, and are finally vindicated.