Strickland Following the early release
of convicted murderer Jerrod Pr,
Governor McMaster asked corrects
officials to investigate if there were
other similar cases in the stat.
And so here's what we found afte
looked a little bit closer and to how
things work in our state's judicial system.
So the criminal sentence reducts
is what we're looking at.
Closer prison records show thatS
Carolina inmates given reduced sentences.
During the beginning of last ye,
that includes 3 inmates who were
convicted of murder, including Price.
One of the other incidents involved a man
in Beaufort County whose life sentence
was changed to 50 years in pris.
Now, another case involved a man
who served 25 years after being
sentenced at the age of 17.
Prosecutors felt that he had ben
sufficiently punished since he d
spent that much time behind bar,
and they even argued that the ce
likely would not have been prosecuted
as a murder if it took place no.
Other crimes included were armed robbery,
felony DUI and kidnapping.
And tonight we're taking a closer look
into criminal sentence reductio,
what they are and how they work.
Rachel Rip joins us in
studio to tell us more.
A criminal sentence reduction is
the process of a judge ultimatey
deciding a lessened penalty
for crime after sentencing.
Based on new information
that's come to light,
there are several reasons a judge could
consider releasing an inmate ea,
including routine requests to re
sentences, correcting errors in
sentencing and health concerns.
One such reason is found in
South Carolina, Code 172565.
It allows prosecutors to seek a
reduction in a defendant sentene
if they've provided substantial
assistance to the state.
Usually that means they provided
information that can help convit
others who've committed more
severe crimes or who've saved
the life of a prison employee.
It's not about. Giving people
who've committed crimes a benef.
It is about balancing the need o
prosecute really bad people wite
need to incentivize that cooperation.
Derek Shumak is a current criminal defense
attorney and former federal prosecutor.
He says there's a Victims Rightt
which says that victims of crimr
their families have to be notifd
of hearings for sentence reduct.
The Department of Corrections recently
gave Governor McMaster a report
on how many sentence reductions.
Have been done since the start of last year.
It's included in this 77 page rt
that would say 80% of my cases involved
people other criminals telling n
the criminals I was prosecuted.
I think people would be surprisd
how often we're able to get bads
off the streets because of peope
who are serving prison sentence.
And there are other consideratis
including a man convicted of kidnapping
and assault with intent to kill
having a sentence reduced from .
To 30 years because the Co defet
was already released from jail
and no one was physically harme.
In another case,
a drug trafficking convict who
developed diabetes and cancer ws
released after serving 20 years
Because of no disciplinary violations,
according to criminal defense
attorney Dame Phillips,
judges typically review several
factors before taking action.
It would be all in the facts of.
What substantial assistance was provided,
how much information, how helpful it was,
how how much at risk the defendant put
themselves at in providing that information,
We're assisting law enforcement,
Phillips also explains.
It's fairly rare for circuit
solicitors to file for a
hearing related to substantial
assistance sentence reductions
in serious felony victim cases.
As for what's next in the talk of the
case of Jarod Price and other cs
related to criminal sentence reduction,
these lawyers say there will liy
be a larger picture conversatiod
decision by a higher court about whether
or not early release should be allowed.
Below, the mandatory sentence sd
minimum reporting in studio Rachel Rip,
News 19, WLTX.
As we mentioned moments ago,
one of those early releases foud
in the report was Jarod Price.
He was released from prison bacn
March after serving 19 years for murder,
which has a minimum sentence of 30 years.
Since his release,
the state Supreme Court has ordd
him back to prison to serve the
remaining time on his 35 year sentence.
Price was convicted of murder in 2002.
The reward for his arrest is now at $30,000.
If you know where he can be fou,
you can call Crime Stoppers anonymously.
At one triple-A Crime, SC.