49-year-old Elroy Phillips is an extraordinary man, whom I have known for years. He started out on the streets in Florida, but worked his way out and eventually opened his own landscaping company with big clients like the Veterans Hospital in West Palm Beach. He is calm as can be and smart. And he has been fighting for his freedom, despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence, for 15 years now.

In 2002, after a lenghty trial, Elroy was convicted of selling drugs based on the false testimony of a police officer who is now known to be corrupt. Officer Ghent falsified evidence, and claimed he had a witness to the deal and provided sworn statements from her, when, in fact, she swears she had no knowledge of it and was not there. Since Elroy’s conviction, evidence has arisen that Ghent wasn’t even on duty the day he claims to have made this undercover deal with Elroy.

In 2014, the prosecutors themselves reexamined the case and filed a joint motion with the defense to vacate Elroy’s convictions. But the District Court judge -- the same judge from Elroy’s initial trial -- still wouldn’t throw it out. The case has been brought all the way up to the Department of Justice, who has now asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to examine it, with instructions to dismiss the drug conspiracy count, the only count he is still serving time for.

This is the most heartening news we have had in 15 years. But it’s not over yet. The Court of Appeals is currently reviewing the District Court judge’s decision.

Every day Elroy spends behind bars is another black mark against justice. Please join me in calling on the US Attorney’s Office to immediately release Elroy Phillips on bond and President Obama to grant him clemency.

Officer Ghent has since been found guilty of a long list of bribery and corruption charges and forced to turn in his badge. He lost his job, but not his freedom. Elroy has been serving time for Ghent’s dirty dealings for far too long now, and we must not allow this to go on any longer.

We hope and pray that the U.S. Court of Appeals does as the DOJ has instructed and throws out the absurd drug conspiracy count. Until it does, however, we must keep fighting for him.

Please call on The US Attorney’s Office to release Elroy Phillips on bond, and President Barack Obama to consider immediate clemency for him.

Thank you.