Mike Pence Is Actively Refusing to Pardon a Completely Innocent Man

Rather than issuing the much-deserved pardon that's supported by a former Elkhart County deputy prosecutor, the Indiana Parole Board and the victims in the crime, Pence, through his general counsel, said in a letter that Keith Cooper must first seek post-conviction relief in court before a pardon is considered. Cooper, 49, was convicted and sentenced to 40 years for an October 1996 armed robbery in the apartment complex where he lived, during which a 17-year-old was shot in the stomach. After the Indiana Court of Appeals overturned his co-defendant's conviction in 2005, Cooper was given the choice of being set free with the felony conviction on his record or facing a new trial before the same judge. He chose to go home to his wife and three children - who were homeless at times during his wrongful incarceration.

DNA evidence points to another man as the shooter, and the victims and former Elkhart County prosecutor who helped convict him now say Cooper is innocent. Still, in a Sept. 20 letter, the governor's general counsel told Cooper's attorney they first must pursue all possible judicial options before the governor will act on the pardon request. The move essentially allowed the Republican vice presidential candidate to avoid ruling on the Country Club Hills man's claim of innocence until a new Indiana governor takes over in January. Attorney Elliot Slosar, who represents Cooper, described the move as a delay tactic. He filed the petition Monday in Elkhart County, but Slosar said all the delays may hurt their chances as prosecutors may argue the newly discovered evidence is too old to meet the requirement of being considered actually new.