This Week in Innocence News – April 28, 2017

Here are some of this week’s news highlights.

Oklahoma commission recommends death penalty moratorium:
After an in-depth review of the death penalty in the state and across the nation, the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission recommended a continuation of the state’s current moratorium on executions, noting that innocent people have undeniably been sentenced to death in the state. Read more

 
Exoneree Marty Tankleff passes New York state bar exam:
Nearly 10 years after being exonerated of murder, Marty Tankleff passed the New York state bar exam, one of the hardest in the nation to pass. Tankelff will be eligible to practice law by the end of the year. Newsday

 
Florida Senate apologizes to families of Groveland Four, recommends pardon:
The Florida Senate passed a resolution on Thursday apologizing to the families of Charles Greenlee, Ernest Thomas, Walter Irvin and Samuel Shepherd, who were accused of raping a white woman in 1949 near the city of Groveland. Two of the men were killed before they could be convicted. Two others were beaten in custody and convicted. The four men were posthumously exonerated on April 18 through a resolution passed by the House of Representatives. The Senate urged Governor Rick Scott to issue a formal pardon. The New York Times