Virginia: Conditional Pardon

PilotOnline.com reports Governor Bob McDonnell "has issued a conditional pardon for an imprisoned Hampton man whose accuser recently recanted her story." Twenty-six year old Johnathan Montgomery was convicted of sexual assault in 2008 and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison. Now, his accuser "has admitted to fabricating the story" and "has been charged with perjury." The governor's pardon reads:

“It is a travesty of justice when an innocent person is confined in a jail or prison, and it should never occur in our society. Our office became aware of Mr. Montgomery’s situation last week.
... After reviewing the petition for a conditional pardon sought by his attorneys, the evidence that came with it, and additional evidence gathered by our staff, I have granted Mr. Montgomery a conditional pardon, as requested, effective immediately. Mr. Montgomery will leave Greensville Correctional Center this evening. This situation has been a tragedy. An innocent man was in jail for four years. While tonight Mr. Montgomery is free from prison, he will never get those years of his life back.
Tonight I called Johnathan to personally offer, on behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth, our heartfelt apologies for all that he has been put through due to this miscarriage of justice. I am thankful that the witness in this case finally stepped forward to recent her testimony. Justice, while tragically delayed, has been served. I thank everyone who worked so hard on this case to achieve tonight’s outcome. More than anything else, I wish Mr. Montgomery a successful and fulfilled future with his family and his friends.”

See story here.