A man named Derek Harris has been freed after almost ten years in jail for selling less than $30 worth of marijuana. Harris was reportedly given a life sentence, which was reduced. He served his time at the Louisiana State Penitentiary and was recently released early, according to the Promise of Justice Initiative, which is a New Orleans-based nonprofit.
Harris was a military veteran who was arrested in 2008 in Louisiana for selling a cop .69 grams of weed. The state’s Supreme Court noted that Harris was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but his sentence was changed in 2012 to life under the Habitual Offender Law.
The executive director of the non-profit—Mercedes Montagnes, said, “This delayed justice was a terrifying ordeal for Derek and his family. As COVID-19 rates continue to rise in DOC facilities, every day spent in Angola was a tremendous risk for Derek's health and safety."
source: CNN
