Alabama governor commutes Toforest Johnson sentence to life without parole
World
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has commuted Toforest Johnson's death sentence to life without parole, after questions surfaced about his conviction in the 1995 murder of Deputy William Hardy.
Johnson, sentenced in 1998, has long maintained he is innocent.
Paid witness prompts retrial calls
Gov. Ivey said this is not about proving innocence: it is about not having enough solid evidence for an execution.
The move adds momentum to calls for a retrial, especially since the original case relied on a witness who was paid for her testimony.
Now, even former prosecutors and local officials are pushing for a fresh look at the case.