BLACK INMATE IN US GIVEN 12-YEAR SENTENCE OVER CELL PHONE

17/01/2020

Serhat TUNAR -TDO- The 12-year sentence handed down to a black inmate who entered a prison in the United States with a cell phone has revived the racism debate in the judiciary.

The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the sentence of an African-American citizen who was arrested on a misdemeanor charge but later sentenced to 12 years in prison for entering the prison with a cellphone.

In a public statement, Justice Leslie King, the only black member of the court's 9-member Public jury, claimed that the case against the inmate, Willie King, whose 12-year sentence was upheld, also exposed the failures of the justice system at different levels. “It is not even clear whether a black inmate arrested for a trivial crime was properly searched when entering the prison, or whether he was told that he was not allowed to enter with his cell phone,” Willie said in his response.