CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - A new trial has been ordered for a South Carolina man who’s serving a life sentence for selling $15 in crack cocaine a decade ago.
The Post and Courier of Charleston reports the South Carolina Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for 35-year-old Onrae Williams of Charleston, who was sentenced to life under the “three strikes law.”
He had originally turned down a plea deal that would have put him behind bars for 10 years. The court said no one thoroughly explained to Williams before the trial that a conviction meant a life sentence.
Assistant Public Defender Jason King defended Williams at trial and says the life sentence “was a travesty of justice.”
Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson says her office will examine options, including a retrial or a plea offer.
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Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.postandcourier.com
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