State v. Sledge

About the Case


In State v. Sledge, the Commission conducted a hearing on December 3, 4, and 5, 2014. The Commission voted unanimously that there was sufficient evidence of factual innocence to merit judicial review. At that time, the case was referred to a three-judge panel.

The three-judge panel hearing was held in Columbus County on January 23, 2015. The District Attorney and the Defense Attorney agreed that the Commission uncovered new evidence of innocence and they jointly asked the three-judge panel to vacate the conviction. The three-judge panel ruled that Mr. Sledge had proven his innocence by clear and convincing evidence. Mr. Sledge was exonerated.


The documents presented at the Commission hearing became public record and are included here. The transcripts of the Commission hearing is available for viewing ONLY. If you would like to purchase a printed copy of the hearing transcript please contact Ira Anderson at P.O. Box 6348, Concord, NC 28027 or (704) 467-4950.

The transcript of the three-judge panel hearing is available for viewing ONLY. If you would like to purchase a copy of the hearing transcript please contact Denise St. Clair at [email protected].

Documents related to the three judge panel are held by the Clerk of Court in the county of conviction and are not managed by the Commission.  You may contact the Columbus County Clerk of Court regarding any documents related to the three judge panel.