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Many studies of the consequences of wrongful convictions begin with exoneration. However, many exonerees experience time in their communities under the shadow of a wrongful conviction, before their official exoneration. We call this the “limbo period” and, in this paper, use data from the National Registry of Exonerations to illuminate the prevalence, duration, and factors that influence this experience among known exonerees. We find that a majority of exonerees experience a limbo period that lasts, on average, nearly two years. Importantly, however, we see variations based on race, such that Black exonerees endure notably longer limbo periods compared to those from other racial groups, underscoring potential systemic biases within the exoneration process. Further, we examine the impact of six key case factors—DNA evidence, false confessions, mistaken witness identification, false/misleading forensic evidence, official misconduct, and inadequate legal defense—on the length of the limbo period. Our findings indicate that official misconduct and perjury or false accusations are associated with the longest limbo periods.