Free at last!

 The year: 2004 

The scene: A tiny examination room in the Michigan prison hospital in Jackson 

The occupants: Michigan Parole Board Chair, Maurice Carter and Doug Tjapkes 

The event: A Parole board interview/hearing 

Parole Board Chair Rubitschun: “If I told you that you could walk out of here right now as a free man would you confess to the crime of shooting officer Tom Schadler?” 

Maurice Carter, #145902: “I would never confess to something I didn’t do!” 

I was there as Maurice’s rep. The room was filled with so much medical equipment I was forced to stand. I had been at Maurice’s side since the mid-1990s fighting for his freedom. He had served 29 years for a crime that he did not commit. A team of attorneys and Innocence Projects was making little headway in seeking exoneration, and then came a medical emergency. Maurice was rushed to a nearby hospital in Lapeer where it was determined that he was suffering from Hepatitis C/end stage. 

Prison records showed that the diagnosis had been made 8 years earlier. No one bothered to inform Maurice. 

Our legal team abruptly changed direction. An application was filed seeking a commutation of Maurice’s sentence for medical reasons. He needed a liver transplant to survive. The Parole Board provided a positive response one year later.

Following that memorable hearing in the Duane L. Waters prison hospital, PB Chair Rubitshun made a personal call to my car telephone. He stated that he and the board would approve going forward with a public hearing. BUT, he warned that this must not be a circus. He wanted my wanted my word of assurance. 

I suspect he issued that warning to me because of our high-profile fight on Maurice’s behalf, including a billboard in downtown Benton Harbor, posters tacked up throughout the city, and a billboard truck positioned outside the window of the Governor’s office in Lansing!

 I assured him that there would be no circus. 

The public hearing was also held in the hospital. Our Maurice Carter citizen’s committee had lined up 20 people to testify. I instructed each participant to limit their statement to 2 minutes. The hearing began and chairman Rubitschun called my name. I, in turn, called up each witness by name. Each politely made a short statement. No circus! Perhaps one of the most organized PB public hearings in history! 

A positive recommendation from the board was forwarded to Governor Jennifer Granholm. She approved the commutation in June, 2004! Maurice would be released in 30 days! 

It was on this day, July 24, 2004, that Maurice Carter and I walked out of that prison facility! What a celebration! That’s the reason why we’ve chosen to call this date Maurice Carter Day. 

For a more detailed and informal version of this story I invite you to tune in to my weekly podcast with son Matt: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-ekskf-1b1bd21




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