(CNN) A military veteran serving a life sentence for selling less than $30 worth of marijuana will soon be released from prison, his attorney said.
Derek Harris, who was arrested in 2008 in Louisiana for selling an officer .69 grams of marijuana, was recently resentenced to time served. He's already served nine years in prison.
Initially, Harris was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to the Louisiana Supreme Court. He was resentenced in 2012 to life in prison under the Habitual Offender Law, which allows judges to impose stricter sentences on someone who's been charged before.
Prosecutors in Vermilion Parish agreed to release Harris from prison after the Louisiana Supreme Court granted him a new hearing last month, said his lawyer Cormac Boyle.
The Louisiana Supreme Court agreed with Harris' argument claiming he had "ineffective assistance of counsel at sentencing on post-conviction review." The matter was sent back to the trial court for an evidentiary writ.
branflake777 on August 9th, 2020 at 15:00 UTC »
The real problem here is Louisiana’s Habitual Offender law.
That CNN article links to another about a man doing life for stealing hedge clippers.
SirWilliamTheEpic on August 9th, 2020 at 14:58 UTC »
Louisiana marijuana penalties are insane. 5 year MANDATORY minimum for planting ONE cannabis seed, the same mandatory minimum penalty as being caught with 1,999 POUNDS of marijuana.
RolledInsight on August 9th, 2020 at 14:41 UTC »
Imagine being told your life is worth 30 dollars of weed..