Justice Pursued - by Bruce Horovitz

About the Book

An in-depth look at a wrongful conviction and its landmark reversal, this book is the story of Nathan Myers and Clifford Williams, who were released in 2019 after almost 43 years in prison in the first exoneration brought about through a Conviction Integrity Unit in Florida.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

Forty-three years after being convicted of murder and attempted murder, Clifford Wiliiams and

his 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