Friends, Here is the promised last update. One week ago today, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued the pardon for Keith Cooper’s conviction on robbery resulting in serious injury. His legal team is moving on towards clearing the battery charge in court (see the February 11th update if you’d like more details about this) and getting compensation for the years of wrongful incarceration and injustice that Keith and his family had experienced. Here is the most recent article I have found, from the Daily Beast, having some of Keith’s thoughts since the pardon: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/15/innocent-man-finally-pardoned-after-mike-pence-refused-to-clear-his-name.html I invited Keith’s wife Nicole, his lawyer Elliot Slosar, and Caleb Walden, who ran the Pardon Keith Cooper Facebook page, to submit their comments for you. ________ From Nicole Slayden: We are so humbled and grateful to all that signed the petition. We never could have done it without you! It still seems like a dream. A good dream. You know the kind you don't want to wake up from. I love to see Keith's smile every day; it's a free smile. Our lives, children, grandchildren have been extended. Family & friends have witnessed the power of prayers. To God be the glory. We are thankful to Eric Holcomb, but wish Keith would have been cleared of all wrong doing. There is a word the prison system has forgotten [Self-Defense]. But as we move forward in glory, we want to volunteer our time helping others fight for Justice for all. Please continue to pray for the Cooper FAMILY AND FOR FREEDOM NOT TO BE STOLEN FROM ANYONE! ________ From Elliot Slosar: On behalf of Keith Cooper's legal team, I want to extend my sincere gratitude for all of your support. Keith would not have gotten his name back without your support and the countless letters and phone calls you made on his behalf. This exoneration has been the result of a remarkable journey that began nearly a decade ago. In that process, there have been a number of highs and lows. And in the end, justice prevailed. That result may not have been possible without each of you. Many thanks. Elliot ________ From Caleb Walden: Advocates of Justice, Safe to say, if you're reading this, you've played an integral part in obtaining this pardon. You helped break through the divisiveness, nastiness, and despicable nature of modern politics. We united around a simple idea once echoed from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama by Martin Luther King Jr., that read "Justice too long delayed, is justice denied." As I reflect on the past year, and try to make sense of the enormity of this victory, I can't help but think about all the hurdles and disappointments we overcame. When Mike Pence became a Vice Presidential nominee, I believe the attention helped in certain ways, but some things actually became more difficult. This case drew national attention with the help of viral news postings from the likes of Buzzfeed, NowThis, Occupy Democrats and others. Looking back, most of these posts were merely politically motivated in nature, as opposed to seeking justice for Keith. Some outlets only sought to use Keith as a political pawn to attack Pence, and then tossed the issue to the side. These type of media outlets, while they significantly increased the amount of attention we got for the petition, brought out the worst in people, leading to name calling from both sides of the political aisle. Some comments went so far as to attack our motives, and questioned the legality and reasoning for seeking a pardon. As to other obstacles we overcame, I'd like to address the silent types. I personally reached out to many media members, representatives of congress, activists in their own right, of all races and political slants. Around 20% of them took the time to respond back to me. 99% did nothing. I'm not sure what to make of this, but if you would have told me this was how the process was going to go, I probably wouldn't have started down this path. Call it naive, call it overconfidence, but I was totally unprepared for the difficulty of breaking through the thick bubble surrounding Governor Pence. We all know the reason why Pence avoided this issue. Because it would have jeopardized the tough on crime image of his campaign. Same goes for his GOP ticket mate, Curtis Hill, who's even more enamored in that image. That doesn't explain why reporters, radio hosts, and journalists who weren't involved in trumpeting his campaign, completely avoided the issue. Indianapolis television stations ignored what turned into a massive national story. 'Keith Cooper' was trending at one point for over 24 hours on Facebook despite zero television coverage. When you have conversations with people who have direct access to the Governor's office, or they're about to do an interview with the Governor, and they let on that they are sympathetic to the cause, and then they fail to follow through with a simple question about a pardon for Keith Cooper, inevitably, hope gets lost. Those that ignored our pleas will not be forgotten. I was nearly to the point of giving up when Jack Heller started this petition. And, Jeff Hall, a friend and coworker of Keith's, started a Twitter page that mirrored my own. It gave me renewed hope. The support started pouring in. Signatures started adding up. Attention started being paid. The snowball got bigger and bigger. We got the attention of the Indiana Debate Commission after we overwhelmed them with requests for debate questions. Our question was asked on live television to the three candidates for Governor of Indiana. Eric Holcomb, who seemed prepared for the question, gave a respectable answer and pledged his support. Once he became Governor, we held him accountable. And the rest is history! Keith Cooper is now the first person in Indiana to be exonerated by a Governor's Pardon. It's historic because Keith was innocent of the crime, whereas all the pardons before his were for guilty people. The doubters and naysayers were wrong. We won! Justice Prevails! By signing this petition, you gave us the numbers to justify the strength of our grievances. By making phone calls, you put a voice to the pain of this injustice. By writing emails and letters, you personified the presence of dedicated truth seekers, and cautioned those involved that we were serious in our resolve. I can't express properly in words how happy I am that we made actually made a difference for Keith Cooper and his family, who are so deserving of our efforts. My soul feels healed now. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. There's something to be proud of in the State of Indiana now. Together, we changed the trajectory of injustice, turned it upside down, and let the light shine upon it for the world to see. "Victory", as Keith calls it. Victory! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! With greatest appreciation, Caleb Walden p.s. I hope that you will continue to follow the 'Pardon Keith Cooper' Facebook page, as well as the '@PardonKeith' Twitter account, although the look and title will change to better reflect our intentions. Jack Heller is now co-administrator of the Facebook page, alongside myself, as we hope to keep you updated on future developments, and any restitution claim that Keith files against Elkhart County. ________ Me again. In the next couple of weeks, I will probably write a few things about this experience, so watch the soon-to-be-renamed Pardon Keith Cooper Facebook page if you’re interested. Otherwise, my last words: Thank you.