Bessemer, AL — Alvin Kennard, a Black man from Alabama who has been in prison for 36 years serving a life sentence without parole for stealing $50.75 from a bakery, is set to be released from prison after being resentenced to time served.
Kennard was only 22-years old when he was convicted of first-degree robbery in 1983. He was sentenced to life imprisonment under Alabama’s Habitual Felony Offender Act, also known as the “three strikes law,” as he had been previously convicted of burglary and grand larceny.
However, in 2013, the sentencing guidelines in Alabama were changed. Under the new guidelines, Kennard would just have received a 20-year maximum sentence.
Kennard, who is now 58-years old, told the court before his resentencing, “I just want to say I’m sorry for what I did… I take responsibility for what I did in the past. I want the opportunity to get it right.”
His attorney, Carla Crowder, said that Kennard was “overwhelmed” by the resentencing.
“What’s extraordinary about Mr. Kennard is that even when he thought he was going to be in prison for the rest of his life, he really turned his life around,” she said. “He is overwhelmed at this opportunity, but has remained close with his family, so he has incredible support.”
Kennard’s release from prison will be processed out by the Alabama Department of Corrections. It’s unclear what the specific date, but he would be returning home “within a few days.”
70-Year Old Granny Who Pulled a Gun on Black Couple Will Not Go to Jail
Starkville, MS — Ruby Howell, a 70-year old white woman who was convicted of a misdemeanor charge for threatening and pointing a gun at a Black couple last May, was found guilty of threatening exhibition of a weapon. Even though she could have accidentally (or intentionally) killed the couple, she will not be jailed.
Howell was reportedly only fined $250 and ordered to pay $182.50 in court fees. Aside from that, there will be no other punishment given to her in connection with the incident.
The incident was caught on a now-viral video wherein Howell, an employee of Kampgrounds of America, can be seen approaching Jessica Richardson and her husband Franklin. She was brandishing a gun while telling them to leave campground because they had no reservation.
The couple learned later on from Howell’s husband that a reservation was not actually necessary to access the campground.
Shortly after the incident, KOA confirmed that the woman was fired and said that KOA “does not condone the use of a firearm in any manner on our properties or those owned and operated by our franchisees.”
Although Mississippi is an open-carry state, it is illegal to brandish a weapon in a “rude, angry or threatening manner in the presence of three or more persons.” Those who were found guilty can face a $500 fine, three months in jail, or both with prosecutors regardless if the weapon was “charged, loaded or in a condition to be discharged.”
https://www.blacknews.com/news/alvin-kennard-man-life-sentence-for-stealing-50-dollars-released-prison/