Advocate marks 90th birthday with request for posthumous pardon of Maurice Carter

SPRING LAKE — As he approaches his 90th birthday, longtime prison reform advocate Doug Tjapkes has sent a formal appeal to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requesting a posthumous pardon for the late Maurice Carter.

The request seeks to formally exonerate Carter, whose wrongful conviction in a 1976 shooting sparked a decade-long legal fight and led to the founding of the Grand Haven-based advocacy organization Humanity for Prisoners.

Carter was granted clemency for health reasons by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2044, but died three months later without formal exoneration. A team of University of Michigan Law School students initially filed the posthumous pardon request that same year. Tjapkes is now urging Whitmer to approve the pardon before her final term in office ends.

"The legacy of Maurice Carter is alive and well," Tjapkes said, noting that Carter's case has been documented in a book, an award-winning documentary, and a stage play.

Tjapkes' effort alongside Carter served as the catalyst for Humanity for Prisoners, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in August. The nonprofit organization was recently recognized with the Justice Warrior Award by Safe and Just Michigan. According to the group, its advocacy and support resources have reached approximately half of Michigan's prison population.

The appeal delivered to Whitmer's office includes supporting documentation, a resolution by the Humanity for Prisoners board of directors, a list of supporters, and a letter from wrongful conviction advocate and journalist Rob Warden.

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