MANNING, S.C. — Michael Pearson, a South Carolina man who said for years he was wrongly convicted of a crime that put him behind bars for over a decade, is now out of prison.

Pearson stepped out of the Clarendon County courthouse Thursday afternoon, hugging family members and attorneys after a hearing in which he was released on bond and granted a new trial.

"It feels good to be free!" he told reporters who were outside the court.

Circuit Court Judge Robert Hood ruled moments earlier that Pearson’s 2012 convictions be vacated and granted him a new trial, citing significant new evidence that casts doubt on his involvement in the crime. Pearson was convicted of taking part in a violent home invasion against local businessman Edward “Slick” Gibbons, who was beaten, robbed, and had his car

See Full Page