- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 59,300
- Reaction score
- 26,920
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Undisclosed
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-florida-man-sees-cruel-face-u-justice-050157061.html
This must be that racially unbiased justice system I keep hearing around.
"My first offense, and they gave me all this time," said Davis, a pudgy African American with dreadlocks who spoke with Reuters at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. "Might just as well say I'm dead."Davis was convicted of participating in a string of armed robberies in the Miami area in 2010. His accomplices testified against him, saying he carried a gun during their crimes and discharged it at a dog that chased them after one of their burglaries. But Davis was not convicted of hurting anyone physically, including the dog.
Davis would occupy no place at all in the annals of crime if not for his sentence. Now 20 years old, he was sentenced to 1,941 months - almost 162 years - in prison without the possibility of parole.
On the day of Davis's interview with Reuters, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that life sentences without parole for defendants under the age of 18 constituted "cruel and unusual punishment" even in cases of murder. Unfortunately for Davis, he was 18 at the time of his crimes.
Davis, who still maintains his innocence, was the only one of the six men charged who went to trial. The others cut plea deals that left them with sentences of nine to 22 years in prison.As the odd man out, Davis was convicted largely on the basis of his accomplices' testimony, court documents show.
Davis, who was not identified as the group's ringleader, claims he was never offered a plea bargain.
Davis's ex-attorney, Zelman, declined to comment on this point, citing attorney-client privilege.
This must be that racially unbiased justice system I keep hearing around.