John —

For 33 years, Pervis Payne was on death row in Tennessee for a crime he’s always said he did not commit. Last November, he was finally removed from death row because he lives with an intellectual disability that makes it unconstitutional to execute him.

Since then, he has been waiting to learn his fate.

Today, at his resentencing hearing, the Shelby County Criminal Court ordered that Pervis’ two life sentences, and a related 30-year sentence, run concurrently, which means that he will be eligible for parole consideration within five years.

“The plain fact is, Pervis Payne is no threat to society and he never was,” said Kelley Henry, Pervis’ attorney.

While we’re glad that Pervis will now be eligible for parole in the future, our fight isn’t over until we uncover the truth and Pervis is exonerated.

For now, you can help Pervis by texting AMY to 97016 to urge D.A. Amy Weirich not to appeal the judge’s decision, then spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

We’re not giving up on justice for Pervis, and we’re so glad to have you by our side.

Thank you for everything you’ve done for Pervis,

— The Innocence Project Team

P.S. If you want to show your support for the Payne family directly, you can purchase Free Pervis Payne gear here.