Savannah man fights to clear name decades after conviction

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Gerard Pugh says he was convicted in a Chatham County assault case in the late 1990’s and served roughly 20 years in prison before being released in 2016.

He says he has spent the years since working to rebuild his life while continuing to challenge the validity of the conviction and seeking to have his record cleared.

For Pugh, the past isn’t just behind him; it’s something he says still follows him every day.

He maintains that for 20 years, he had nothing to do with this crime.

The arrest and conviction

“When I went down there to talk to him (the detective), he asked me about an incident, and I told him I don’t know anything about that. How can I answer those questions? He asked me where I was when the incident happened. I said, I don’t know because I don’t know anything about that incident. So then he turned around & told me I was under arrest. He had a warrant for my arrest, and he took me to jail,” Pugh said.

Despite what he calls inconsistencies in the evidence and questions surrounding the investigation, a jury found him guilty, and he spent two decades in prison.

“The description of the person they were looking for was 5′9″, 175, dark-skinned. I’m 5′5″, 135, light-skinned,” Pugh said.

Pugh said the case against him never added up, with a lack of physical evidence tying him to the crime. Even so, he was convicted and didn’t walk free until 2016.

Life after release

Since his release, Pugh says he’s been trying to rebuild, working two jobs and pushing for his conviction to be overturned. But he says the system hasn’t made it easy.

He said he’s struggled to access housing and assistance, saying his record continues to hold him back.

“I want my name to be exonerated from this conviction. I just want them to reverse this conviction so I can move forward with my life,” Pugh said.

Pugh said without clearing his record, moving forward feels nearly impossible.

“You cannot go forward when you have a criminal conviction on your record,” Pugh said.

Seeking exoneration

He’s already appealed, and the conviction was upheld. Now, he’s calling on local leaders to revisit his case and formally clear his name. He’s reached out to the attorney general, two district attorneys, and the Governor’s office.

“I want to get my name detached from this conviction. I have a constitutional right to that,” Pugh said.

Despite reaching out to these state and local officials, he said he still hasn’t seen action on his request to have his conviction reviewed or overturned.

Pugh says he’s now hoping continued outreach will lead to a review of his case and ultimately help him move forward.

While he continues to push for exoneration, Pugh said he hopes sharing his story not only brings attention to his case but also prevents others from going through the same cycle.

“They expect a person to come out of prison to be back in prison six months to a year. I just wish this doesn’t happen to anybody else,” Pugh said.