Author John Grisham praises NC commission that evaluates inmates claims of innocence

John Grisham talks of wrongful convictions in NC

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Best-selling author John Grisham says a commission in North Carolina that evaluates claims of innocence is progressive and that eventually it will be duplicated across the country.

Grisham spoke to an audience of about 2,000 at Wake Forest University on Tuesday. He told reporters before the speech that there are a lot of innocent people in prison.

Grisham praised North Carolina’s Innocence Commission, which helped exonerate Greg Taylor, who spent 17 years in prison before being freed earlier this year.

The hearings that led to Taylor’s exoneration brought scrutiny to the North Carolina crime lab and the way it handles blood evidence.