News (Media Awareness Project) - Alabama: Woman Is Free From Mandatory Sentence |
| Title: | Alabama: Woman Is Free From Mandatory Sentence |
| Published On: | 2002-05-02 |
| Source: | New York Times (NY) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-23 11:06:41 |
WOMAN IS FREE FROM MANDATORY SENTENCE
A woman was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a first-time
drug offense was freed after her case became a rallying cry for critics of
mandatory sentences. The woman, Theresa Wilson, 34, was sentenced in 1998
to life in prison because of a law that classified her as a "drug baron"
when she sold a morphine mixture for $150. The State Court of Criminal
Appeals ruled last year that the sentence was cruel and unusual. A Circuit
Court judge reduced it to time served and three years' probation.
A woman was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a first-time
drug offense was freed after her case became a rallying cry for critics of
mandatory sentences. The woman, Theresa Wilson, 34, was sentenced in 1998
to life in prison because of a law that classified her as a "drug baron"
when she sold a morphine mixture for $150. The State Court of Criminal
Appeals ruled last year that the sentence was cruel and unusual. A Circuit
Court judge reduced it to time served and three years' probation.
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