COSENTINO 8c CHRISTOFENO

LAWYERS
us WEST LEXINGTON AVENUE

MIC HAEL A. BOX IBEE TELEPHONE (E74) 

IAN J. FORTE ELKHART, INDIANA 46515-21866 FAX (574} 522-5595

mohriatofeno?maplenet.net
iforte?maplanemet

MICHAEL A. COEENTI NO
IBEIB-ECIIO

January 13, 2016
Via email only: mahearn@gov.in.gov

Governor Mike Pence
Mr. Mark Ahearn
General Counselor to the Governor

Re: State v. Keith Cooper
Dear Governor Pence:

I am the former Deputy Prosecuting Attorney that prosecuted Keith Cooper in the Elkhart
County Circuit Court. I am writing to you in support of Mr. Cooper?s Petition for a Pardon.

Mr. Cooper should be pardoned because evidence not available at the time of his trial
now exonerates him. The DNA evidence available now establishes that Mr. C00per is excluded
from being the person wearing the hat at the time of the offense. More importantly, the eye?
witnesses have recanted their identi?cation of Mr. Cooper and now positively identify another
person. Mr. Cooper was convicted on the eye-witness testimony which now has been recanted.
Accordingly, the evidence available to the State of Indiana at this time exonerates Keith Cooper.

Justice demands that Mr. Cooper be pardoned. As an attorney, I certainly understand Mr.
Cooper?s procedural decision which allowed him to be released from prison but did not remove
his conviction. Justice however should not be circumvented under this set of circumstances on
procedural grounds. We cannot undo the wrongful imprisonment of M. C00per, but we can
undo his wrongful conviction with a pardon. 

I would urge you to pardon Keith Cooper. I thank you for your time and consideration.
Please contact me if you have any additional questions.

Very truly yours,

Maw

Michael A. Christofeno
MAC :jl