A public defender in Harris County, Texas is seeking a posthumous pardon on behalf of
George Floyd, 46, because the arresting officer in a 2004 case had an alleged pattern of fabricating evidence.
“Though pardons are, of course, rare and discretionary, and posthumous pardons all the more so, the instant case is one where truly, a pardon is merited,” attorney
Allison Mathis wrote in the application for clemency. “A pardon would not give back the 10 months George Floyd spent in State Jail, away from his children and his mom. It wouldn’t erase the memory, personal or institutional, of this thing that happened to him, or the things that would happen to him later. In its own small way, though, this pardon would correct the record. It would show that the State of Texas is interested in fundamental fairness, in admitting its mistakes, and in working to increase the accountability for police officers who break our trust and their oaths, and harm our people rather than serve th