Exonerated Cary man says he still doesn't feel free

Gregory Taylor, 47, said he is not allowed to drive without restrictions.

Taylor was charged with DWI before his arrest for the murder of Jacquetta Thomas in 1991. He was cleared of the murder charge in February and pardoned by the governor last month.

Still, Taylor said the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is punishing him for his DWI by only allowing him to drive between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. for the next five years.

“This thing would have been resolved decades ago if I hadn’t spent all that time in prison for a crime I did not commit,” Taylor said.

He said he plans to fight the DMV’s decision.

Taylor was convicted in April 1993 in the Thomas’ death. He had exhausted all avenues of appeals when the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission reviewed his case and decided in September 2009 that it merited a review before the special panel.