Rankin County case sparks statewide debate on releasing criminals early
Convicting someone of a crime doesn't happen overnight.
NORTH MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – A case in Rankin County sparked a debate after a man convicted of two murders was released on parole earlier in the year and then arrested for a DUI and later bonded out.
In 2001, 17-year-old James Williams killed his father and stepmother.
In 2005, he was convicted to two life sentences without parole.
Williams served a total of 18 years and was released after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that it was unconstitutional for a minor not to be eligible for parol. And his lawyers appealed the sentence.
Convicting someone of a crime doesn’t happen overnight.
Dontevis Smith is the Chief Deputy for Noxubee County. He said countless hours are logged by law enforcement and prosecutors to get the case ready to be heard in a courtroom.
“Making sure they have all their paperwork and the files and making sure that when they present these things to the grand jury they have everything they need inside of the folders. So, its a lot of work that goes into this and we only have six months between each court term to get all this information together,” Smith said.
District Attorney Scott Colom said all the information must persuade a jury.
“To convince 12 people to find someone guilty of a serious crime is something that is not easy to do. And then you have to have a lot of evidence to make sure that you can convict beyond reasonable doubt,” Colom said.
State Representative Dana Mclean said several factors go into a Parole Board’s decision to grant criminal parole. She is one of several legislators who petitioned the board’s decision in the James Williams case.
She believes it’s vital for someone convicted of a violent crime to be held accountable.
“I think it’s important for the community to know that when someone is sentenced, we need to make sure that they complete their sentence and know that the community is safe. It’s not fair to the victims. It’s not fair to the victim’s families. When we have someone who is released on parole and then within six months commits another crime,” McLean said.
While departments can’t control the decisions of others, Smith said they will have to continue to keep their guard up to stop crime in the community.
“I can’t be mad with the legislators, and I can’t be mad with the MDOC. I don’t know their guidance. So, I can’t speak on that but what I can say is we will adapt. We will become more vigilant and adapt to the times. We will adapt to training, and we will train more and accomplish more,” Smith said.
At this time, it is unclear if Williams’s parole will be revoked.
