Black man serving life sentence for stealing hedge clippers granted parole in Louisiana

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: CNN

A parole board in Louisiana granted parole for a Black man Thursday after the state Supreme Court initially denied the man's appeal.

Fair Wayne Bryant, 63, was sentenced in 1997 to life in prison for stealing hedge clippers, court records show. He was convicted of one count of attempted simple burglary. In August, five of the six state Supreme Court justices upheld the Bryant's life sentence and denied his appeal.

"While nothing can make up for the years Mr. Bryant lost to this extreme and unjust sentence, today's decision by the parole board is a long-overdue victory for Mr. Bryant, his family, and the cause of equal justice for all," said Alanah Odoms, ACLU of Louisiana executive director.

-snip-

Bryant's sentence was sanctioned under the habitual offender law, meaning that Bryant's previous criminal history supports the sentence.


Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/black-man-serving-life-sentence-for-stealing-hedge-clippers-granted-parole-in-louisiana/ar-BB1a6Xgh?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=DELLDHP

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We used to have one of those habitual offender laws in Washington State. It was called "Three strikes you're out". Basically three offenses earned you a life sentence.

Thankfully it was declared unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.

[Karadeniz]

1. This type of law needs to be reevaluated.

[paleotn]

2. Habitual offender needs to be dumped everywhere...

along with mandatory sentencing. Every case is different. Let judges judge. It's what they're paid to do.

[Marthe48]

3. I remember this story from earlier this year

So happy he is free.

He more than paid the price for the crime he committed.

[Illumination]

4. Ridiculous! Such a petty crime. Especially when you compare it to someone like murdering

Trump & all his crimes! He's roaming free & committing crime after crime! There's a piece in Yahoo I saw this am that Trump is talking about leaving the country if he doesn't win!!!! What kind of "justice system" do we have here???

[Bayard]

6. talking about leaving the country

Really? Haven't heard that one. Lots of people speculating about it, but not trump saying it himself.

[Turin_C3PO]

8. Yeah.

He mentioned in a recent rally that if he loses, he'll leave the country. Supposedly, he was joking.

[christx30]

9. Trump is doing a good job of campaigning

for Biden. I had already voted for Biden when I heard this. But hearing Trump is going to leave the country if Biden wins made me smile about my vote.
But I’d still rather see him in prison.

[Bayard]

10. My apologies

I just saw the campaign clip of him saying this.

[donte]

5. In humane but very common " Justice" in the deep south

Louisiana has the harshest in humane prison system in the U.S. People are incarcerated for many decades for petty crimes. You basically pay for stealing with your life!

[MichMan]

7. The three strikes and out laws were a terrible provision of the 1994 Crime Bill.

Louisiana also passed theirs at the state level that same year. Ridiculous that so many are still on the books.

[ck4829]

11. Kick