Justice Pursued
Justice Pursued
The Exoneration of Nathan Myers and Clifford Williams
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.
Forty-three years after being convicted of murder and attempted murder, Clifford Wiliiams andhis nephew, Nathan Myers, walked out of prison in Florida as free men. Despite 40 witnesses
who saw the men elsewhere and forensic evidence contrary to the one eyewitness who placed
them at the crime scene, the men were sentenced to life in prison. Journalist Horovitz digs into
how they ended up there and how, decades later, they were exonerated. In the process, he also
weaves in the story of Florida’s first Conviction Integrity Review unit in Jacksonville. As almost
accidental pioneers, the group faced its own challenges navigating the case, especially one from
so far in the past. Horovitz succeeds in pulling the thread of this tale of post-conviction justice in
a straightforward and balanced way. He doesn’t shy away from Wiliams’ known past as a
criminal or the criticism the unit faced, but he also explores how the men changed in prison and
the questionable tactics used by their original attorneys. A clear-eyed exploration of one case of
justice deferred but ultimately achieved.—Booklist
“A clear-eyed exploration of one case of justice deferred but ultimately achieved.”—Booklist
“A reckoning of a book. Horovitz renders the full range of human potential, with characters and plot turns to match. Criminals turn out to be innocent. Prosecutors turn out to be freedom fighters. Their story raises a question: if, individually and together, we are capable of so full a range, then what choices are we making? I hope everyone involved in the criminal justice system reads Bruce Horovitz’s powerful book, and beyond that, everyone with a hand in public life, and beyond that, everyone, period.” —Benjamin Rachlin, author of Ghost of the Innocent Man: A True Story of Trial and Redemption
“Provides experiential context to the growing problem of actual innocence in ways that have not been done previously for Florida and demonstrates the significance of the growing recognition of the role of prosecutors in seeking justice as opposed to convictions.”—LeRoy Pernell, coauthor of Cases and Materials on Combatting Racism in Criminal Procedure
“A compelling story about a tragic miscarriage of justice.”—John Hollway, coauthor of Killing Time: An 18-Year Odyssey from Death Row to Freedom
Bruce Horovitz is an award-winning author, journalist, and entrepreneur with extensive experience in the nonprofit and business communities of Jacksonville, Florida. He is the author of Gamble Rogers: A Troubadour’s Life.
